malmsteen Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 I wasnt sure where to post this but this seems to be the most popular board. Has any one here ever built a violin? If so how hard was it and how long did it take? Im thinking about building 1 this year but i cant seem to find much information on the internet. If you know of any sites like this one (but for violins) or you have any information and/or are willing to give me tips please let me know. Quote
ansil Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 i have a basic template i could measure for you but it isnt' 100% accurate however it does yield an interesting result. i built one last year out of fiberglass. but i made it thinner with a solid body. Quote
unclej Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 stewart macdonald may have something like you're looking for on their site. i know that they sell violin kits and parts and instruction books but they also have some tutorials. good luck! Quote
ansil Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 stewart macdonald may have something like you're looking for on their site. i know that they sell violin kits and parts and instruction books but they also have some tutorials. good luck! http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi/h...RCH_SPEC=violin stewmac search for violin stewmac pdf on how to put together your violin kit http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/i-5342/i-5342.pdf no full size plan though. i emailed a few people. http://pweb.jps.net/~msmatsu/htmlpages/violin1.html nice site here Quote
Lex Luthier Posted September 24, 2004 Report Posted September 24, 2004 Try the MIMF for info. I built one from the StewMac kit, seen here: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=6189 I've attemped to build one from scratch, but it wasn't coming along too well and I never finished it. The neck came out nice though, I put a dragon head on it instead of a scroll. I would recommend the kit, it's great for the money. The plates are carved, but only by a machine, so you could graduate a tap tone them, etc...you could even get the kit to use as a guide for building one from scratch, also. StewMac Kit Quote
malmsteen Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Posted September 25, 2004 thanks for the sites. what im planning on doing is ordering the kit from stewmac and then duplicating all the parts so i have one completely from scratch and one from a kit and then i could sell one. Lex Luthier, how long did it take you to complete the kit from stewmac? Quote
bluespresence Posted September 25, 2004 Report Posted September 25, 2004 Very good info guys! I have been wanting to do a mid size stand up bass/cello for a while. I relegated it to a dream due to time constraints and illness but you have me thinking about it again....maybe the violin kit is a better place for me to start also. PS: Lex, I love the way the finish turned out on yours. It looks very weathered and worn. Nice job! Quote
Lex Luthier Posted September 25, 2004 Report Posted September 25, 2004 Lex Luthier, how long did it take you to complete the kit from stewmac? I don't know exactly, but I took my time. Quote
kbrmiller Posted September 26, 2004 Report Posted September 26, 2004 The best resource you can get is The Art of Violin Making by Courtnall and Johnson. It's expensive (about $120), but well worth it. There's also a series of books by Henry Strobel that's really good. They're much more affordable. Start with Violin Making Step-By-Step. Under no circumstances should you waste money on the Bruce Ossman book Violin Making: A Guide for the Amateur. Everything in it is wrong. Don't try to duplicate the kit to make one from scratch- get some real plans. The best source is the Strad magazine. They sell posters with full size photographs of classical instruments. The back of the poster has an accurately-drawn outline, thicknesses, and measurements. The "Milanollo" Stradivari violin is a good one to start with. If you're looking for a forum devoted to violins, try the Pegbox forum on Maestronet. There are quite a few very good makers there who are very helpful. Quote
malmsteen Posted September 26, 2004 Author Report Posted September 26, 2004 The best resource you can get is The Art of Violin Making by Courtnall and Johnson. It's expensive (about $120), but well worth it. There's also a series of books by Henry Strobel that's really good. They're much more affordable. Start with Violin Making Step-By-Step. Under no circumstances should you waste money on the Bruce Ossman book Violin Making: A Guide for the Amateur. Everything in it is wrong. Don't try to duplicate the kit to make one from scratch- get some real plans. The best source is the Strad magazine. They sell posters with full size photographs of classical instruments. The back of the poster has an accurately-drawn outline, thicknesses, and measurements. The "Milanollo" Stradivari violin is a good one to start with. If you're looking for a forum devoted to violins, try the Pegbox forum on Maestronet. There are quite a few very good makers there who are very helpful. thanks for the info. the only reason i was planning on copying it was because i couldnt find plans on the internet and i havent had time to find some books. but thanks for that message board site. thats what i was looking for. Quote
ansil Posted September 26, 2004 Report Posted September 26, 2004 same here i coudlnt' find an online full scale for a violin so i thought i would try to find the measurements around a year and a half ago and found a decent picture in an online encyclopedia and did some quick algebra to get the measurements down. i was pretty close. and my first one turned out quite nice. however i am too poor to buy any books or a kit on it thats why i was wanting the blueprint. Quote
kbrmiller Posted September 27, 2004 Report Posted September 27, 2004 Try going to your local library and requesting a copy of Violin Making: Step by Step by Henry Strobel through Interlibrary Loan. They should be able to get a copy for you, and it includes full size drawings for a Strad model you can trace, as well as detailed instructions. Take notes! While you're at it, you might want to request a copy of The Art of Violin Making by Chris Johnson and Roy Courtnall. It doesn't have plans, but it's the most detailed book on violin making available. If you read through both of those books you should be off to a pretty good start. Quote
samoht Posted October 1, 2004 Report Posted October 1, 2004 i know this thread is old, but i've made a few violins. here's some sites that might help. they don't have blueprints for one though. http://home.att.net/~PeteSchug/ http://www.violins.demon.co.uk/making/index.htm http://www.primoviolins.com/ViolinTour.htm this one was my first and it was made without any kind of plans. just by looking at some violins in the local music store. cheers. thomas Quote
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