Violin Forum/Message Board

cryptision

When putting together any system I try to use as little as possible to keep things as stable as I can. That is why I'm thinking of using one piece of wood for both neck and body. Since I don't want to ruin a good piece of maple, I'll piece everything together with a Douglas Fir 2x4 first. When using a solid body design, should I still need to angle the neck? I was thinking that if I need to keep string to fingerboard distance in check I would just lower or raise the bridge at the body side and keep the neck level. (or if I have to just and a long wedge underneath the fingerboard. Could someone point me to the flaws in this half baked plan?

bata · Member Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Ontario

Hi,
I am not a maker but a repairer and restorer of violins, viola's and cello's. I would say that you are not going to get much help on your project from this forum as it is so far removed from "normal" violin making.
VSO's can be made from pretty near anything. Ive seen them made from plastic PVC piping, cloth and fiberglass.
Good luck with your project, Im interested to see what you end up with.
Tony

cryptision · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:49 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your reply. I figure if someone can make a paper machete acoustic violin sound decent. I should be able to make an electric 2x4 sound good. Smile

I'm using the 2x4 as a foundation and will be using balsa for the wings as its pretty easy to shape. Once everything is laid out I will be re-doing the project with a more suitable hard wood, assuming I can find maple 2x4. I will also be documenting the entire process on video for my website and Youtube. This is a see if I can do it project,much like the bluetooth enabled coffee machine. I'm a geek, what can I say.

Mat Roop · Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:36 pm Post subject:

Dave Chandler · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:13 pm Post subject: 2x4

If you don't want to be tagged as a traditionalist, then why even bother with maple?
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

cryptision · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:18 pm Post subject: Re: 2x4

bata · Member Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Ontario

Does violins have neck warping issues similar to the violin.
Did you mean guitar?
Warping of violin neck is not a common problem. Actually I dont think that I have ever had a violin with a warped neck. Main problem with violin necks is when the neck is pulled up and forward thereby lowering the fingerboard towards the belly. Truss rods are never used in violins that I know of.....Tony

Dave Chandler · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject: 2 x 4

Maple is denser than Doug Fir, but the fir may be stiffer. You can "google" information on stiffness for comparison. I would think fir would make a reasonable wood for a violin if you can't get Spruce. Are you thinking of laminating fir 2x4s together, then carving out a violin shaped object?

Keep in mind, that players will want to have the same feel of a traditional violin, even if they can get past the non-traditional appearance and construction. You must keep to standard string length, bridge placement, string spacing and distance off the fingerboard etc, or it will be unplayable.

Still trying to figure out exactly what you're trying to accomplish. If you're practicing on douglas fir, what you expect to do later with maple/spruce, then why not try to duplicate the traditional methods and setup? The angle of the neck has a more to do with playability than construction. Keep in mind that the violin fingerboard was flat in relation to the plane of the ribs back in the 1500-1600s but as music became more demanding and players began playing in the higher positions on the strings. As a result, the neck angles had to be changed, fingerboard lengthened, and bridge higher to accommodate.

Doesn't mean that you can't experiment to come up with something new, but I wouldn't discount 500 years of improvement by thousands of makers resulting in the modern violin.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

cryptision · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your input Dave and Bata. This project is more of a see if I can do it. Its to see how well I could design and build a violin without ever having the experience in playing one. The reasoning behind an electric is that its quiet, as I live in an apartment setting.

So, in this self challenge, there are several rules I have set.

1.This project must be in-expensive as I have limited funds.
2. I have very limited access to tools, so I need to be really creative on how I build the violin. (i.e Peg reamers are really hard for me to get, so I need to drill a hole that is of minimum diameter and try to wrap sand paper around the tuning peg.)
3. I need to use as little power tools as I can. One of the two reason I using the 2x4 as a foundation to my electric violin system. I actually would like to use no power tools as that would be perfect irony. Smile

Creating an electric violin with no electric tools.

I might be sticking with Douglas fir as the base as it is stiffer than maple and I can get it cheaply at Home Depot. Also, would whitewood be the same as basswood? Home Depot has some really good deals on whitewood lumber.

L P Reedy · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject:

I believe "whitewood" at Home Depot is either spruce or white pine, depending on what they have. Unlikely to find basswood there. They MAY also have tulip poplar or red oak in limited sizes. And I have heard that they sometimes do have maple. I don't have a convenient Home Depot so I don't keep up. Almost all my lumber comes from traditional lumber yards. Better selection and quality.

cryptision · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:44 pm Post subject:

Mat Roop · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:46 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that lumber from commercial lumber suppliers can be quite green ( even if it feels dry) and will twist and warp and can check as it dries... especially spruce... don't know about fir as I have never worked with it. You may want to be sure the wood you are working with will be well aged and fully dried.
Good Luck... Mat