About Violin Making

Summer Workshop

Every summer in June, I conduct three weeks of workshops on violin making and setup in Claremont, California, sponsored by Jim Brown of J Brown Violin Maker. Jim does a wonderful job of organizing and hosting the workshop and making sure everyone is comfortable. Participants can sign up for one, two, or all three of the week-long sessions, space permitting. In addition, for this summer, a session on bow making with Lynn Hannings has been added.

Articles about Instrument Construction

Making a viola: A step-by-step photo-essay, possibly the most extensive photo set of the violin making process on the web
Corners and edgework: An article about the subtle shaping of corners and edge scoop

Illustrations and Photos

Graduation punch: A tool based on one of Stradivari's tools seen in a Cremona museum. If you're not careful with this tool you can leave dents on the outside, just as Stradivari himself did on this cello.
Purfling machine: The tool I designed and built for cutting purfling grooves
F-hole placement: a diagram for the placement of f-holes on a Cremonese violin model
The "Messiah" Stradivari violin (detail): An example of Cremonese varnish texture, courtesy of Claudio Rampini
An Andrea Guarneri viola (detail): Another example of Cremonese varnish texture
Laser-scans of arching (movie): Fun with lasers: information extracted from scanning the top and back of a Brothers Amati violin. The black lines on the still photos are curtate cycloid curves generated with free CCycloid software.

About Violin Making

Summer Workshop

Articles about Instrument Construction

Illustrations and Photos

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