Violin Forum/Message Board

M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

I have finished my first violin and would like to here your opinions.
It 'd be great if you tell me what you like or don't like.
Any suggestions about what I can improve on the next one are greatly appreciated.

Matthias

Click for larger image

MANFIO · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:17 am Post subject:

Wow!!! Quite a good for the first one!!!! Mainly if you are selft taught. I imagine you have a background on woodworking, but I may be wrong.

Your outline and attention to details is quite good.

The varnish is quite good too, as well as the colour.

Some things: you took some varnish from the edges on the soundbox, but you kept the chamfers of the scroll fully varnished, in general in this case the chamfer of the scroll will follow the treatment given to the edges of the soundbox.

The nicks of the f holes can be a bit more pronunciated.

The transition of the varnished region to the neck, on the scroll, could be more subtle, just wipe the fresh varnish in this region with your fingers every coat you apply it and you get a varnish that "fades" till it reachs the unvarnished neck.

But these are minor details in a very very good number one. I miei complimenti!!!
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M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

Thank you very much.
Yes, I am self taught. I built a guitar before. I gained some woodworking skills there. But I had to learn a lot more, working on the violin.
The varnish is Hammerl Ia colored with alizarin crimson from Kremer ( I've got that from your varnishing descriptions) and brown and yellow color extracts from Hammerl.
I'll take care of the points you mentioned on the next one.

Matthias

MANFIO · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject:

Well, if you are self taught this instrument is quite an achievement and an inspiration for those who want to make a violin, congrats!

What's the model? For the next one, also, try to follow the lines of the scroll and pegbox of the model that is inspiring you. A good tip is making xerox copies of the original scroll, aligning and glue them to your neck block, as I've mentioned in a scroll carving tutorial I posted here sometime ago.

On the next, also, don't apply anything to the neck till the moment you finish the varnish. In this way the bare wood of the neck will collect dirt and get an old look, then you can French polish or oil it.
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Jack H. · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:45 am Post subject:

Fantastic lookig violin Matthias!
Very nice varnish job and the wood work looks to be very well done alos!
You should be proud!

J

M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

The model is the 1709 ex Viotti Strad. (Not the one from the Strad poster, but the one that is featured here: http://www.ot-montpellier.fr/_objets/pages/une-selection-en-or_f-1181.pdf)
I used it because there are drawings and measurements of it in the German Book "Geigenbaukunst" by Otto Möckel. (He refers to it as ex-Neruda/ex-Marie Hall).
I didn't follow the f-holes exactly and I didn't have pictures of the scroll. So I've drawn the scroll myself, but tried to do it in the style of Stradivari.
Could you explain what is wrong with the scroll, so that I can avoid it the next time?

Jack: Thank you very much. I am. Very Happy

Matthias

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

Magnificent! You've obviously got a very good concept of detail which will just get better... for a first effort I have to think a lot of viewers are shifting uncomfortably in their chairs, remembering their own first efforts! Smile

If I could offer the tiniest observation... the peg shafts look on the large diameter to me... leaving less time before the next re-bush job... it's customary for new builds to have a narrow shaft... you can get pegs from the big makers in narrow, medium and large "guage." The narrow shaft is also easier to tune.

I'm so impressed!

MANFIO · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

Hi Matthias!

The design of the scroll and pegbox are non orthodox, at least to my eyes. Half of our training is the training of the eyes.

Get a Strad poster, I think they have the Viotti on a poster and follow strictly the outline of the scroll and pegbox.
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M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

Thank you very much for the kind words, actonern. You're absolutely right, the peg shafts are very large. I started with medium pegs, but messed up fitting them. Therefore I had to take large pegs.

Manfio, I think I'm beginning to see what you mean. Would you agree, that it doesn't look too bad from the side, but the back of the pegbox is too triangular? Also the pegbox walls are a bit thick and too parallel and the top of the scroll (in the front view) could be narrower.

Thank you all, it is so great to get good feedback and advice from experienced luthiers, like you.

Matthias

Joseph Leahy · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:26 pm Post subject:

Matthias

Bravo! on your first. I looks great and a nice job on the varnish. Can you comment on the strings you used and how satisfied you are with the sound of the instrument.

Joe

M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

Thank you very much Joe!
I use Dominants (medium).
I'm very happy with the sound because it is much better than I could expect. It is balanced on all strings and has no wolf notes. However I am not very experienced in judging the sound and I am a terrible player (I've just started some months ago).
But I will meet two very good violinists, that have a lot of experience in judging violins and also have played and heard a lot of highly regarded violins, tomorrow. I guess I will be able to tell you more after that.

Matthias

Joseph Leahy · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject:

Matthias,

I look forward to hearing more about the sound once you have this additional input. Its encouraging to see someone do so well on their first instrument.

I have learned a great deal from reading the valuable information on these forums. Manfio's tutorials and varnish related comments have been very helpful. My plan is to first repair a beat up german violin with a broken neck and a nippon 3/4 that has varnish damage and needs a neck reset. I will use these two projects to practice some technique before proceeding with new building.

Joe

M.Lange · Member Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Germany

Sorry for posting this so late, but I was not able to log in for the last two days.
Okay, I'll try to sum up, what they said about the sound.
Both were very kind and I couldn't get them to say anything negativ about the sound. Wink

But they told me what they liked and I'm sure that they were honest.
Both were surprised how good the sound was. They especially liked that it is balanced and that the sound is consistent on all strings (that there is no big change in sound quality between the strings).
They also said, that the G string is very powerful and responsive and that this is something many new violins don't have.
Both said that especially the G and e string sound very good.
They also found that the sound is very good, when played piano.

I'm very happy that they judged it so good. The only thing I have to worry about now, is proving that it was not a coincidence. Laughing

Joe: I think that is a good idea. You will learn a lot, there.

Matthias

Mikes · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:50 am Post subject:

Very very nice first fiddle Mattias!!! Nice attention to detail for your first. It will only get better from here on out.

Mike S

Joseph Leahy · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:22 am Post subject:

Matthias

Thanks for the additional info on the reviews of the sound of the instrument and congratulations! Looks like you have built a fine instrument, especially for your first.

I am sure you will use your knowledge from the first and prove with your second that this is no coincidence.

Joe