I repair a Cello Crack part 2 of 2
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Part 2
Watch Master Violin maker Olaf Grawert as he repairs a cello crack!
His goal is to make it look like the crack invisible... Like it had never been there in the first place.
Website:
www.olafgrawer...
Social:
/ olafgrawertviolinstudio
/ olafgrawertviolinstudi... 
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Thanks Olaf. I'm so very pleased to be playing my cello again - she sounds wonderful, and the slight shaving of the bridge corners has helped a lot - hardly any inadvertent double-stopping..... I must be improving too. If only I could sneak in and get rid of that awful varnish dripping the makers left inside the F-holes...... my inner woodworker has itchy fingers. Ah well, can't have everything. The RUclips videos are the icing on the cake - and then.... Dylan Moran as well! one of my favourite scenes. It's also been pretty nice reading all the comments - lovely to know there are so many people after my own heart out there.
Thanks Liz,
Yes, thanks.
Great to hear that she is working well for you again.
Yes, it's nice to share some of the work I do and give players a window into my world.
There's nothing quite like getting your instrument back from repairs.. I once slipped on icy cobblestones and I was carrying my double bass on my back, and the head snapped off!! It was just the worst feeling ever to open up that bag and seeing it in a state like that. And then quite opposite to walk in and see it standing in one piece again in the shop.. I don't know, it's hard to explain. Great work as always!
Lars August a similar thing happened to me. I had propped my double bass against the wall and have also attached it via a wide plastic band thing from the top. Nevertheless, it fell face front and obviously the sudden impact on the bridge caused the neck to break. Worst part was that I had actually seen it fall from a few meters and couldn’t make it on time. I was seriously emotionally unstable for a few days, and seeing it fixed brought me the outmost joy.
as a double bassist that physically hurt to read
I loved the close ups you showed while applying the filler and varnish, it would be great to keep on showing close ups in your nest videos so that we can get a better view of what you're doing 🙂
Great vid as always, can't wait for the next one 💕
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
The hardest part is remembering while I'm working. And yes, close ups really give a much clearer picture.
Seeing you repair a cello was satisfying to me, it's virtually a guide, but I just won't have the necessary equipment to replicate the task
brooo how are you everywhere wtf
@Just Some Guy Without a Mustache . Welp, I didn't expect you here.
@@verav1113 At least we know hes got good taste. :D
I'll bet the Cello's owner was quite happy to get it back. Wonderful job.
I wish we could have seen the clients reaction. Of course they deserve their privacy, but I’m sure they were very pleased! That was really great to watch.
Agreed! Mr. Olaf, if it isnt too hard, would really great to see the owners reaction or maybe just them playing their instrument back xD
She was pretty excited... also super happy that the whole process is on RUclips...
That sounded beautiful! And looked that way too! Can't even see the crack! Thanks for showcasing all the work!
This slightly reminded me of a time I damaged the bell of my french horn. I had a baby gate I used to keep my dog out of my room whenever my french horn was out of its case. Well, my mom called me and I ended up tripping on the gate with french horn in hand completely bashing in the bell. I literally felt like I had killed my best friend so when my horn came back from repairs and I couldn't even see a dent, I couldn't believe it. People who repair instruments are miracle workers in my eyes. Thanks for walking us through the process you used this time!
It is a crime that 2 people apparently dislike this video. How can anyone dislike such skill?!
I have to admit, I'd love to try doing something like this, although I'm a complete novice. I love building things and putting things back together and the satisfaction at the perfection of the detail here really does it for me haha.
I'm convinced RUclips adds dislikes to every video automatically
Loved the close-ups on the varnishing 😍
I imagine someone once brought you a lute to repair that you couldn’t do anything about so now you call yourself a violin maker to make sure people know that’s your specialty.
Wow I literally can't see the crack anymore!
You've done it so beautifully and neatly
I couldn't see the crack at all after you had sanded it down. The repair work looks excellent!
This guys voice is sooooooooo relaxing I always fall asleep watching the videos
I used to play cello in between 7-14 years old. Then I switched to clarinet and have not played cello since. I'm about 40 years old now, and when I watch this video it strikes me how I miss the "feel" of the cello, the sound knocking on the top plate
and the weight of the instrument. Some day soon I will try to get the hands of a cello again.
Nice! Glad to see the Cello finally get the respect it deserves! Whats's next? Double Bass!
Orchestra teacher don't break it's or let anyone touch it!!!
Olaf ok let's break it in half😂😂😂
15:37 every guitar player knows the struggle
I think i speak for all of us when i say i’d happily watch a video (no matter the length) of you crafting a cello/violin by hand! Must say i’m biased as a cellist myself, but i’d def watch a violin as well :) keep it up!
teacher: why are you laughing?
me: nothing
my brain: martin luthier
This was a condensed master class of 'cello deconstruction, repair and reconstruction. Kudos to you, Olaf. I like to know who the maker was and when, if obvious. I'm an organ buff too, and such details are important, as, like string instruments, there is no large Kawai or Fazioli logo proudly proclaiming the maker. Imagine a big STRAD or GAGLIANO on the outside of a violin/'cello!
As allways, you provide us with pleasant journeys and a lot a precious knowledge. Thank you!
This is a wonderful process to be able to watch. I've always loved the cello but I had no idea of how they're worked on before finding your channel. Really wonderful!
15:38 I'd love to see how you do this with a double bass 😂
I wondered why you didn't took the sound post out before you glued it yesterday, but to leave it there to not lose it makes totally sense. I would probably manage to lose the top plate the moment it comes off 😅
Unbekannter Nutzer 25 I would love to see Olaf work on double basses.
😅
@@siminel2003 me too
Hello! I am wanting to buy a cello, and I went to our local music store to see if they had any cellos for sale. They had ONE! (I’d also like to add that I live in a very rural town, and this is our only music store). I assumed it would be a new one, but to my surprise it was an older one. I don’t mind that at all, but I was very discouraged that it cracks on the face. He said he took it to a local guitar repair shop and that the repairman had put cleats on it. Since it was closing time (and because I don’t really know anything about cracks and repairs), I didn’t investigate further or touch it, but I’m still feeling drawn to it. I do not recall the maker of it, but I do remember him saying that it is a 1960 cello made in West Germany! He played the strings for me and I thought it had a beautiful, deep sound. He’s asking $895 USD. I’m not sure if I should even be bothering with it considering whoever repaired the cracks was nowhere near your skill level and they are still very visible. In fact, I’d have to go back to examine if they’re even sealed all the way. Would you think it is worth pursuing or should I move on? I have loved cellos ever since I played one as a child (I am definitely a beginner though), and I have wanted to own one for over 20 years!
**UPDATE: the label says
E.R. Pfretzschner
MITTENWALD OBB
1960
Hand made copy of
Antonius Stradivarius
West Germany
And the other label says
Scherl & Roth
Model F615
Serial # 60-5224
15:37 Every guitarist ever
Aaah, I knew that reminded me of something but I couldn't remember what. 😂
I had war flashbacks to the time I dropped my capo into my guitar, it sounded the exact same knocking around inside there.
Saw you on twoset and always wanted more, so glad I found this channel!
Its so satisfying watching you repair that crack
Fascinating! I wish you were around when I dropped my cello and cracked it real good. You're very skilled and it shows in your finished product.
You answered my question about the dowel. Thank you.
I really love seeing what happens behind the scenes. I haven't really been to a luthier before cause they're quite rare here in the Philippines. Hoping to visit one soon after the quarantine 😊
I loved this 2-parter. Very interesting, great window into a luthier's day on the job. Gonna check out that 1890 violin restoration next.
16:10 cello dentist
Every instrument is special to the player. And it gets better than before by the repair.
You’re true artisan! I love watching your work!👍
When I first saw it, I thought that thing on the fingerboard was where it'd worn off, but then I looked closer and saw it's an inlay and my mind was officially blown. I had no idea classical instrument makers did that sort of thing, and it's beautiful.
Nice close up shots of the retouching. More shots like that!
Just as good as the first part 👍🏼
You shoulf had ask to your client play the cello 😅
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
You have the best like to dislike ratio I have ever seen! You deserve no dislikes and I’m glad people see that! (Besides the bad eggs that randomly disliked just to be the first to do it)
Well done! Thanks for filming the whole repair process. I like how you care for the instruments and you make such quality work!
I wish I could fly to Australia to meet you; I need a new violin bridge for my beloved violin, and I need the nut on my spare violin to be sanded down...
Thank you for posting this, particularly where you show the retouching process!
I thought you cleverly left the sound post inside so you could just raise it with a tool, almost right. And when you played it was like the beginning of the melody of a swedish folksong called "vem kan segla förutan vind" so you're almost there, just a few grips that need to be adjusted. ;)
Your videos are so fun to watch, Olaf. Thanks for taking the time to create this content! :D
I actually dont want a next repair. I NEEDED IT
I find watching you work very relaxing, surely it helps that there is no background music :)
I dropped my von Huene alto recorder a few years ago and chipped a chunk off the labium. Sent it back to the maker to see if it was repairable. It came back looking brand new and sounding better then when I sent it as it needed revoicing after repairs. There's a difference between a repairman and a craftsman to be sure.
Great repair Olaf! like Sarah I like the close up shots of what you are doing. I'm your typical weekend warrior woodworker. so always looking at ways to improve my knowledge, techniques, and you were right it was invisible. But I did notice some drops? of something on two spots after you tested it and held it to the camera? I suspect you got rid of them with a final wiping down of it before the customer picked it up. I'm near 80, and love to keep learning things one is never too old to learn and to have a thirst for knowledge. that's what keeps us young at heart anyway! Thank you so much for sharing. ECF.
Great series!
Danke Meister Olaf wieder viel gelernt
I'm such a hussy watching Olaf only, and not twoset
Thanks for sharing the process. Your work is inspiring!
Can you share the 1700s spirit varnish recipe?
More Olaf cello vids please 🙏🏽🙏🏽
I really like watching your videos. It is now one of my past time to watch your artistic hands work on these amazing instruments. I just wanted to ask, can you talk about violin tailpieces? I saw your videos on bridge, fingerboard and soundpost but none on tailpieces. I really wanted to know the opinion of a great professional luthier on tailpieces especially the hill vs harp tailpiece. Thank you and I hope that you continue making great videos!
Tailpieces are a really fascinating subject. especially the difference between fitting a more modern "all in one"tailpiece to an old instrument , and cello versus violin, in that matter. Or, stick to a much older tailpiece and tune on the pegs, with a bit of "pull" on the string to get fine tuning? Actually I'd love to hear Olaf on this, especially for fine valuable instruments. I admit to having a totally modern tailpiece on my Forster cello.
Setting the sound post - I always wondered how, now I know. What do you do with a new violin how do you know the length? Hand made, every instrument must be slightly different. So needs a bespoke post. Fascinating viewing.
When the client comes back says that the instrument actually sounds better now, I bet that is due to your careful and precise setup.
Hi Coralie!
(1) I love to watch you work. It is artistry indeed.
(2) I wish I could smeel the Varnish over the Internet.
Oh well, Smell-a-vision has yet to be invented...
It just occurred to me, if you had to plane the fingerboard, how would you do that when it has that beautiful inlay in it?
I work with an Inlay shop with the guitars I build (they do such great work) and they asked me why I don't get a nice inlay in the fingerboard?
I explained that the fingerboard is a "work area" both for playing and for instrument maintenance, so the inlay would not continue to look so good forever...
Wait a minute, what is that little weight on the D string? Is that to fix a wolf tone or something?
Fascinating to watch you repair the cello. Nice carbon fibre endpin and Larsen? strings. Beginner cello?
This was so cool to watch.
What a treat!
Loved the close up camera work. More.
Good job!!
cellooooooooo
Really nice, I don't even play cello but it was amazingly good to see your work
Olaf. I need advice. Have a William Forster cello, that was originally repaired by Hill's old Head restorer 33 years ago (private job he did at his home workshop). The inner ribs on the right hand side (as I play it) so the left as you look at it, got stoved in, and the cracks are limited to an area about 2-3 inches long and 2 inches across. Yes, rather strange damage. I believe the cracks are opening somewhere as sometimes certain frequencies set of Buzzing and when I gently put my hand on the crack it stops. Moreover, I can actually hear it coming from the crack. My local luthier is perfectly adequate , but not great. Can I help him with suggestions?
Being a Willam Forster, the instrument is precious. It is important that you use a luthier that is experienced in restoration. It is best if you have seen work by the restorer. The end goal is to make the crack area as invisible as possible as well as making the repair strong, so it will last.
Which William Forster btw?
also if it is William Forster III what model?
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker William Forster the 3rd. It's basically, got the look of an Amati model, in the body, but the scroll looks more Steinerish. Nice boxwood pegs too !
This is great content Olaf!
It's a craft that I knew nothing about before but that I found is really interesting now!
Olaf fixes crack:
Olaf: ***You can still see a very tiny crack...***
Me: ***Nope, I see nothing***
At 13:07, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto N.2 in C minor, 2nd movement can be heard, in the background. hehe
Hey Olaf, it would be cool if you got a request to use a gold looking varnish on the cracked area.
I have a serious question Olaf. Glue is applied to the crack, so as to fix one side to the other. But the glue line, which consists of glue, does not have the same material properties as the wood comprising the instrument. Therefore, the resonant properties of the front of the instrument are changed by that glue line and therefore, the sound the instrument makes is changed. I expect that the magnitude of the crack defines the magnitude of change. For a professional musician, does this mean that the repaired instrument is no longer acceptable for performances? Is it even acceptable for practicing? [Note: I am not even an amateur musician. Forgive this novice if I am asking something ridiculous.]
The glue us similar to the glue that holds the body together, and the layer is super thin, so no, it doesn't have much of an effect on the tone.
A lot of Stradivarius instruments can have between 10 and 40 repaired cracks, and they still sound amazing.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thank you. I appreciate your response!
Excellent work! Can you please tell us what are you using to fill the crack on the top? Look like some sort of a paste. Thanks!
Next double bass!
Is there ever such a thing as an instrument which is too old to be repaired? If a violin has been maintained perfectly since it's creation, does it have a lifespan or in theory is it indefinite?
Well, String instruments are made from timber... I think there is a finite time that they can last and be used. It is good to remember that a lot of the famous instruments have a lot of repairs, and doubling of timber, which means adding patches with new timber.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thanks for the reply! I didn't really think about all the repairs the older instruments must have. Interesting! :)
I learn a lot and I appreciate it. Can you fix plumber's cracks?
Mate... nothing can fix that except super glue and car filler! 🤣
Can you give us a ballpark range for reasonable cost expectation for this repair?
Thats a good question, how do the reinforcement cleets affect the sound. Cause running it through my head i can tell wether the extra vibrations the cleets bring towards themselves. Would they change the vibrational characteristics?
He talked a little about it a little. The mass of a couple small cleats on a single crack shouldn't affect the tone very much, and some players remark that it sounds better than it did before the crack happened. If extensive repairs with many cleats are needed the change to the sound will be more noticable, but surely better than it sounded needing such extensive repairs.
What was that little dislodged wooden dowel you left floating in the instruments body?
Just wondering - why was the soundpost left inside while glueing the top since it has to go out after that anyway?
Olaf said it was because he didn't want to lose it. A bit like locking the key in the safe.
PrincessSixThirteen Or in the car?
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker I've never done that one, yet.
Olaf! What's your opinion on Fiddlershop violins, are they any good? This was an awesome series by the way, thanks for the content :)
What's important is that instruments are really well set up and sound good.
So that's always what I would look for when you do your research.
In the next few weeks I will do some videos about what I do to set up an instrument really well so it is easy to play.
I do love how none of the procedures requires gloves or masks or such.
How can you clean the inside of your violin correctly?
Put dry rice inside and shake gently so every dusty corner is cleaned with it.
Денис
And then shake the rice out (yeah that probably went without saying but)
Yes, Rice can work... depends on the instrument. For antique instruments I would probably leave it to a restorer.
@@tsarinaballerina4 and don't cook it afterwards
Okay thank you!
If you don't wind the string on close to the Handel part of the peg, the customer might bring it Bach.
i olaf! i just find your channel and i loved it. can i ask you how much a repair lik this costs ?
What product do you use to fill the crack after gluing? Wonderful video- thank you!
Deft for varnish filling
Olaf, I wanted to ask you if a violin with a snapped fingerboard can be fixed or if the fingerboard has to be replaced entirely ?
The fingerboard would have to be replaced...
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Olaf is correct here.
Thank you for the up close view of cello repair. What was the filler (small whitish jar)?
Any videos on a French cello and a bow from Korschmin collection? :-)
what grade of wet dry paper are you using to sand? TY Olaf This has helped
I got a copy of a Stradivarius, somebody put a varnish on it, it is terrible I almost cried when I saw it, I have looked, asked, but nobody will come up with the best way to clean the old varnish? Need help David Tolley
So you often say varnish, but I'm curious if it's actually varnish or if it's shellac? (Sometimes they are called the same.) Can you clarify?
Why put the sound post in the chello's body only to wiggle it out in order to place it?
You're making me want to be a luthier :P
How do you make your own varnish? Is there a recipe to follow?
There are many recipes for varnish and many books written on the subject. A web search will get you started. No idea on what book would get be a good starter.
@@williamwagner8017 ouh alright thanks for the info
@@williamwagner8017 This is a good book: www.joha.eu/en/book/book-violin-varnishes-4.-edition
but there are actually a few old downloadable ones on Gutenberg and Archive.com
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thank-you. I will add it to my list.
Why don't you glue and clamp the crack instead of fill it?
Hey Olaf I have a slight crack below my tailpiece what do I do. I can't tell if it's actually cracked yet
First of all have a really good look at the bottom of your cello, where you suspect the crack is. Use a powerful torch, if you can't see clearly.
Next, if there is a wee crack, think carefully how that happened. Finally, really good luthier repairs cost a lot, so you have to weigh up the value of your cello versus the cost of the repair. I really do suggest instrument insurance for those of us who have very valuable string instruments.Good luck! Hopefully it's fine!
@@heathermcdougall2399 thanks this helps a lot
Is your spirit varnish shellac/alcohol?
Is there a reason to not fix the sound post after the top has been re-glued? Won't letting the post roll around inside the instrument like that damage it?
Есс , репэйринг
Is it safe to inhale varsnish? I'm always a little worried about inhaling anything made into small powder, shouldn't Olaf be using a mask?
It's alcohol... so I don't worry about a mask. Also the pigment is not dusty.
I haven't seen Black Books in years.
Love the work ! but i have a small nitpick when i hear " violin maker " and not luthier , is like hearing an Ophthalmologist referring to himself as an eye-doctor, it does not sound right, but this is just me