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General: What is on the bench now

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    Here is a Bubinga 5-string That is being made for a customer.
    What do you think about alternative wood? Many people in the violin world will not play anything other than a Maple fiddle but they are missing out on a wonderful tonal palate.
    • back being glued to ribs2 (600 x 406).jpg
    • arched back2 (425 x 600).jpg
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeJan 21st 2008
     
    Lovely back with the multicolor flames, It looks very shiney even without varnish..

    What is the sound characteristics of Bubinga? What other alternative woods would you use for fiddles?
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    The shiney look is because it has a sealer coat of blond de-waxed shellac on it. It has a big full sound but also has good treble response. IMHO, any good tone wood could be used as a violin wood. Cherry makes very good fiddles as done black walnut. One draw back is that the violin is a bit heavier.
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeJan 23rd 2008
     
    The woods you mention are for the back ribs and neck, what about alternatives for the top Is there any other wood that sounds as good as spruce?
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    Berg, as far as violin tops go I do not have any experience except with different types of spruce.
    Redwood is used in archtop guitars tops by some makes. I guess you could try western red cedar...it also makes great guitar tops. Both of these may not have enough brightness of tone for a violin. Again that is just a statement, I don't know it may be super.

    Sometimes you just have to make some saw dust to get the answer!
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    Here are some shots of the top I am hoping to finish today. There is a shot after the rough arching has been done. A shot after the f- holes have been cut and a shot where the bass bar just lying inside the top. I will start the chalk fitting process next and should be finish shortly if I don't have too many interruptions.
    • rough arched top (600 x 466).jpg
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    Here is the top with the f's cut.
    • f holes cut2 (600 x 328).jpg
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    Finally the inside with the bass bar lying inside waiting for me to fit it properly.
    • fitting bass bar step 1 (600 x 389).jpg
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeFeb 11th 2008
     
    Nice is that for the same fiddle, I mean do you allways finish one instrument at a time?

    I really like the looks of your instruments and I hear many like the sound.. Intresting to see the process here..
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    I usually work on 2 at a time. Repeating the steps on each violin and then move on the the next step in the building process.
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    here are a few more shots as this violin progresses.
    • top clamped to corpus2 (600 x 424).jpg
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    Here you cab see the ebony lamination in the neck. This was a request of the customer.
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    Here is a shot of the scroll.
    • Scroll1 (600 x 526).jpg
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    While taking these photos look what I did to this side of the scroll!!!!!!
    • scroll nick2 (600 x 522).jpg
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    Ouch! That must've hurt! Will you fill and repair, or work it into "an artistic improvement"? lol
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    Here is the solution. the customer came up with the idea!
    • Scroll w-ebony dots (342 x 600).jpg
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    Here is the rest of the 5 string with the 1st coat of varnish.
    • fullfront 1st coat (262 x 600).jpg
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    And the back.
    • fullback 1st coat (264 x 600).jpg
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeFeb 26th 2008
     
    Nice touch with the droplets of ebony on the scroll..

    The back looks even better with varnish.. Will you put some color in the next layers of varnish? I mean will you even out the difference in color between the bubinga and the spruce?
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    Thanks Berg. The back in the sunlight looks like a jewel. It has a very 3 dimensional quality. The varnish does have color in it. It takes several coats for the color to build up. Too much color in that varnish will reduce the clarity. When I am finished it will be a tobacco sort of color.
    • lightbox2 (402 x 600).jpg
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeFeb 26th 2008
     
    What is that cyber looking box the violin is hanging in?
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    It's my magic box...it puts the glorious sound in to my violins!!! LOL
    It is a drying box. many violin makers use them to help the varnish to dry. It is a plywood box lined with aluminum foil and Black lights for UV.
    • CommentAuthorberg
    • CommentTimeFeb 26th 2008
     
    I was thinking something like a magic box.. So uv lights dries the varnish?
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      CommentAuthordarol
    • CommentTimeMar 3rd 2008
     
    Wow! I love this... it looks really amazing and the "treatment" of the scroll is really hip. Shame to waste beautiful wood. Shows misfortunes can lead to creative happiness.
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    Beautiful wood is something that makes me want to create. I find it hard to through away good pieces of wood unless it effects the overall build quality. One of the thing a luthier learns is how to work around mistakes!! Trust me I have learned how to make mistake! LOL!!
    Some smart guy once said "experience is something you gain right after you realize you needed it"
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    The varnish application is complete. After it cures for a week or so I will rub it out with pumice to remove the shiny surface and leave a soft luster.
    • last coat of varnish (409 x 600).jpg
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    Here is the Bubinga back.
    • back last coat (438 x 600).jpg
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    And the scroll with it's "beauty marks"
    • scroll final coat (491 x 600).jpg
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      CommentAuthormadfluter
    • CommentTimeMay 2nd 2008
     
    absolutely beautiful... i marvel at your amazing abiltiy to turn wood into violin. it is incredible. hope you will post many more pix. please forgive my ignorance,(i'm new on this forum) may i ask if you have any opinion on bent(pressed)tops or using light or soft woods for the back?
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    Welcome to the forum!! I have asked some strange questions myself so I am a true believer that there are no stupid questions.
    To be truthful I have no experience with pressed tops. I don't like to take to strong a stand on things that I have no real knowledge...I think that is stupidity.
    All of the violins I have made, I have carved the tops. Pressed tops are not thought of in high regard among the makers of better instruments.
    Pressed tops do not allow the maker to control the outside arch which is extremely important in the sound and responsiveness of the violin. Also it seems it would be more likely to split as it fluctuates with humidity and temperature.

    Light wood for the back is good...soft wood??? I have never made a violin from a soft wood. There are some makers who are on the cutting edge of experimentation that have made violins that are made from balsa and look very strange. From what I have read they have had some success. Again I am reluctant to take a strong stand on something that I have never tried.

    I have received a lot of negative comments from other makers who have never tried using woods like Bubinga for the back and side. I have been told that it will never work!
    But my experience has told me that some of the tonewoods that we typically think of as guitar woods make excellent violins! I have made several very successful 5 string from wood other than the traditional maple.

    "I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as fraud." - Carl Jung
    Michael Darnton turned me on to this quote which says it all.

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