Violin Forum/Message Board

[Ignitegems]

I am attempting to make a carbon fiber violin with the usual pieces of Top plate, back plate, ribs and neck. I am using a traditional Maple neck and spruce end blocks. I started by making a mold of an existing violin for the front and back plates. From the plates I drew out a rib mold and carved the end blocks. I then formed the ribs with end blocks attached.
I have removed the rib from the mold and decided it was too thin and am putting in back on the mold to add more layers. My next step will be to join the plates and ribs, then join the neck.

The reason I am doing this is that A) I like to play with things. B) most everything I read about the current carbon fiber violins is that they sound a bit flat, being a one piece back and rib/neck and a top plate.

I have added extra layers in to try and mimic the Strat resonance patterns.

any thoughts on this would be appreceiated!!

Will attempt to upload pictures shortly
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Ignitegems]

any help on where to store my images so I can link them in would be great.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Ignitegems]

http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jsp?shareCode=A1201F2C8B0&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[FiddleDoug]

Sounds like a great project! What type of glue are you using to join the pieces together? Are you using linings on your ribs (wood or carbon)?
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Doug Wall

www.wallindependent.com

[Ignitegems]

I am using hide glue to join the pieces together and the inner liner will be carbon fiber. I am not yet using corner blocks but after the first trial with out I may have to put them in for either strength or sound reasons.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[caeman]

Interesting. With a CF body, aging becomes a non-issue?

[Ignitegems]

mostly I am targeting outdoor players that need to be concerned about heat and humidity, not to mention the occasional suprise thunderstorm.


I am planning to make a all carbonfiber one later that will even have a CF bridge. You could play it under water with a CF bow.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Ignitegems]

Found out that the Hide glue doesn't stick to the carbon fiber very well last night whne I glued the top to the rib. Trying it with the Carbonfiber resin today. Hope to start setting the neck tommorow.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Ignitegems]

I have finished the main part of the violin, just need to get the pegs and the endpin put in and string her up. From tap testing it sounds good and when I was talking with it in my hands I could feel the body resonate.

Added new pictures here.
http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jspshareCode=A1201F2C8B0&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Ignitegems]

It is strung up and sounds great. the luthier that was going to put my sound post in is on vacation(yeah for him), so I have to wait til next week to get the full sound out of it, but since I don't have to worry about cracking the top, I went ahead and strung it without. Going to have a violinist take a swing with it on Monday (I hope) and give me her opinion of the sound.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[M.Lange]

Hi,

the link doesn't work. Can you check it. I'd really like to see the photos.

The soundpost will change the sound of the violin completely, I think.
It is because it changes the way the vibrations are transferred from the bridge to the top and various different other things.

Why don't you try to set the post yourself? With a carbon-fiber instrument, there is no risk of damaging the instrument.

Matthias

[Ignitegems]

http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jsp?shareCode=A1201F2C8B0&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW

Try this one.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[Tim McTigue]

I'm curious as to how you approached the various design questions on a project like this, such as graduations of the top and back - how thick/thin? etc. Given that the material you're working with is so completely different from the wood that is normally used. Also, have you made a wooden violin before? The pics look great!
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Tim
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[Ignitegems]

I approched this project like Columbus looking for India to the east. Loaded up with the best information I could find and plenty of supplies.

Honestly this is the first violin I have made and the first thing I have made out of Carbon Fiber. I used a cheap chinese violin to make the mold for the top and bottom plates. From that I learned a lot and had to make another mold (the one you see in the pictures). I started out making plates of different thicknesses and after about 4 trys I got one that was thin and strong enough. (This plate was given to my 8 year old son for endurance testing. It passed)

Knowing the thickness needed I then found a resonance map of a Strat top plate online and added shaped layers to the middle of the layers of the plates to replicate the resonance pattern. I had to guess at the effect of the arch on the structural strength in shaping the added layers. I mirrored the top and bottom plates. I did make the bottom plate a little thicker just in case. Then I trimmed the plates to shape and laid them on my rib mold blank and drew around them to get an outline of the plates then subtracted an eighth of an inch and cut to that line. Cut out the top and bottom block notches and waxed the whole thing with candle wax. (I did not use corner blocks) Took about 4 tries to get the ribs right and then it was just a matter of trimming and glueing and triming again.

The rib did not come out perfect so I ended up having to trim the top and bottom plates to the edge of the rib so it would be even.

The neck I bought rough carved and the finger board too. I learned how to do the neck joint on this forum and a few other places online.

I am a vibration monitoring engineer in real life so I deal with resonaces and harmonics all the time. I love to take on new challenges with my mind and hands and this is my latest attempt to make something I can be proud of.
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It doesn't have to be perfect, but you do have to try!

[M.Lange]

Looks good!
Good Workmanship!
I would prefer a modern design with such modern materials, but that's just me.

You may find this site interesting: http://www.schleske.de/en/master-luthier.html

Could you explain a bit more about how you replicated the resonance patterns?

Matthias