Violin Forum/Message Board

tkafitz · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 26 Location: NC

I put my personal violin that I worked on last year about this time in the shop for a check. The luthier has found that the bass bar is cracked, well we all know what that means, top has to come off. I do not or have not noticed any major change is tone or any odd sounds when practicing. Should I go ahead and have him fix this, and while doing this repair the neck and button that were repaired(not correctly) years ago??? This might be more than the violin is worth. Too me it is a great instrument and I get alot of compliments on the tone and warmth of it, and it has been in my family for many generations. Thanks for the replies, I look forward to hearing them.
Tim [/b]

Chad48309 · Member Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 110 Location: Michigan

Keep in mind that poor repairs, cracks, and fractures have a way of spreading themselves like ice cracking across a frozen pond. In my opinion, unless the instrument is of no value (intrinsic or personal), it's shameful to leave it in disrepair.

Assess how much the violin is worth to you and make your decision based on that.
_________________
-C.S.

fyoder · Junior Member Joined: 05 Aug 2010 Posts: 9

What is a great instrument that has been in your family for generations worth? Do you anticipate handing it down to future generations?

Lemuel · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject:

Tim,

First of all, do you see the crack yourself? How is it cracked? Where? I would ask these questions considering that you have a violin that you are satisfied with the sound. (If a mechanic tells me that there's a problem with my car , I would want him/her to show me where the problem is before making a decision).

tkafitz · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 26 Location: NC

Lemuel: I have not seen the crack myself yet, I have been traveling on business. The same luthier did look it over last year, this time was more for setup and I wanted the soundpost checked, it had moved and I put it back what I thought it should be, it was not much but I wanted someone who did this for a living professionally to do it, this is when he noticed the bass bar crack.
I am having a new finger board,and nut glued on and fit. New pegs, strings, fine tuners, and a new bridge. This was needed badly at this time. I am going to get it back first and then make a decision on it after I get some playing time with it.
I am a very interestted in doing the work myself as I do woodworking once in a while, I know that ths is something left to the pros, but I have all the right tools for this, and would have alot more pride in knowing that I did it myself. Thanks for the replies.
Tim

Chad48309 · Member Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 110 Location: Michigan

DonLeister · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:07 pm Post subject:

I'm surprised to hear it has a crack in the bass bar, that is almost unheard of. More often violins suffer from a 'bass bar crack' which means that it has a crack on the front parallel with the bass bar, they can sometimes be glued from the outside, saving the intrusion of opening the top.

fyoder · Junior Member Joined: 05 Aug 2010 Posts: 9

What chad says about the reading/research is absolute truth, but you might also want to pick up a fiddle for repair off ebay with similar problems, then practice on that. I'm doing that at the moment, treating the fiddle as though it was very important to repair to the best of my ability, though really it's in prep to work on a fiddle I think has real potential and which I don't want to screw up. I'm learning lots in the process, including that it's possible to read something and misinterpret or not fully understand until I try to apply it. The other thing about reading widely is that you'll discover that there aren't many things where there's only one way to do it. You have to make decisions and then see for yourself. This sort of learning/experimentation might be better done on a fiddle that doesn't have a lot of value, either monetary or sentimental.

L P Reedy · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:27 pm Post subject:

I'm with Don. The only cracked bass bar I've ever seen produced a horrible tone. The crack wasn't easy to see. I had to shine a light against one side of the bar and look at the other side with a mirror and then had to look twice. Sounds much more like a bass bar crack in the top.

tkafitz · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 26 Location: NC

Chad48309, well I have read, read and read more!! I understand that there is only one way to do it also!! I am going to try and get by in a week or two, unfortunately I have to go back out of town again next week and the luthier doing the work will not be in also. So I will have until then to rack my brain somemore on this whole thing.

fyoder I am currently looking at a couple of used violins that need work off of ebay myself, I have been waiting for some free time to do so. I like a challenge and enjoy things like that, this is great therapy for a person.

Don, LP Like I said I have not been by to see it in person and findout exactly the problem. I was told that he found a crack, I knkow it is not in the top for sure, so I am sure that it is something inside.
Thanks you all for the help, I will keep you all posted on what comes about. I will try to take some pics too if possible .
Tim[/b]

jethro · Member Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 178

Has anyone tried hot hyde glue inside a plastic or glass syringe with a really long needle where you could bend the needle arround to fit
through the f hole so to feed hot glue into the edge of the crack letting
capilary action suck it up. ? Of coarse youd have to have a matching clamp scheme compressing in the correct direction - that might be the harder part to figure out how to do .........

Maybe the joint between the base bar and top has seperated. Could
see that with a small dental mirror. That might be easy to clamp through
the f hole maybe ?????

TB

tkafitz · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 26 Location: NC

Well hopefully this week I will get it back and try to get there when the luthier is on site and get a good look at it myself. Cannot wait to get it back in my hands personally.

Mat Roop · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:03 pm Post subject:

Too many possibilities to comment, but when you get back... try to take some pics of the crack and post them... you'll get lots of good advice!
Cheers, Mat

Violin Repair Guy · Junior Member Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Posts: 13

If you get compliments on the sound and it has generations of sentimental value, the logical thing seems to get it fixed. But you still have to make a judgment call, depending on what it costs to get it fixed.
_________________
Eric Luthier
The Violin Repair Guy

tkafitz · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 26 Location: NC

Ok finally got the violin back last week!! Yeah, then I got home and noticed something, when the person repairing it was working on it, he must had hit the scroll with a file and then tried to recoat the varnish, which did not match, made it look too dark and shadowy!! The shop said bring it back and they will make it right. great one more thing too look at. I am about ready to put it up and never take it out again at this rate! More work to get it right.