M_A_T_T Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 (edited) Hi there. I used to post here as Lex Luthier, but I can't get into that acount anymore, not to mention I HATE that name now, and have grown to like M_A_T_T that I use on a few other forums. Another reason I haven't been posting is I have not had much interest in electric guitar/bass building lately, I've actually been seriously interested in the construction of violin family instruments for maybe a year now. I've done lots of reading of different books and checked out sites on the net relating to it, and finally started one from scratch at the beginning of this month. You can see my progress here, it's kind of an online 'journal'. Ongoing violin making pictorial. If you have any questions/comments, post them here, as only I can post on the journal. I know it's not a guitar, but I figure some people may find it interesting. Thanks...it's nice to be back. Edited May 28, 2005 by M_A_T_T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Welcome back Lex, it'll be nice to see what you've been up to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted May 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Welcome back Lex, it'll be nice to see what you've been up to ← Thanks, though I haven't been up to much at all. Aside from starting this violin, I was building two 'ukuleles, but I wrecked the sides when it came time to bend them, so they are stashed away on 'hold'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Hey Matt, I was waiting for you to start this. Thanks for the progress pics, be sure to keep us in the loop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinjiakari22 Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Holy crap theres a lot more to a violen then I thought. Very beautiful work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabbefusk Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Thats some beautiful work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Awesome! What size frets are you going to use? Did you calculate neck angle? Are you going to put a Floyd on it? Going to Carri-burst it? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabbefusk Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Awesome! What size frets are you going to use? Did you calculate neck angle? Are you going to put a Floyd on it? Going to Carri-burst it? Greg ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted May 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Because so many of you guys have been viewing my journal (thanks for the interest) my monthly bandwidth has gone up from 59% to 78% in one day! Because of this I reduced the pics to links, except for the first pic in each post. I just finished re-grinding & sharpening my gouges, so I should do some more on it today, maybe get the other side roughed out, and post an update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 I know you mentioned it but how asymetrical are the upper curves in the waist? How do you plan to fix them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted May 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 I know you mentioned it but how asymetrical are the upper curves in the waist? How do you plan to fix them? ← I just checked with the metal pattern aligned with the drill bits, and the line aren't off at all, really. It was more so the extra bits at the corners weren't bent exactly the same, but I have since trimmed the corners, and they are now fine. Had they been off, I would have shaped the maple ribs them selves. The ribs are 1mm thick, and it would have been fine to shave them down slighty where they are glued to the corner blocks...but it need not be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samoht Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Awesome! What size frets are you going to use? Did you calculate neck angle? Are you going to put a Floyd on it? Going to Carri-burst it? Greg ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samoht Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 (edited) ← i was wondering how i could put my CRAPPY old and broken german violin in to use. so.. a little experimenting lead to this. at least i can play with decent intonation and do the vibrato pretty much the same way i do with a guitar i've also posted THIS before, but in case you didn't see it... Edited May 29, 2005 by samoht Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 6 String Violin? I like the idea of a freted violin, or atleast one with note markers. Matt, your violin looks cool, cant wait to see it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samoht Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 (edited) i can't wait to see matt finish his violin.. i've built a few just for fun and i really can see he's very talented and his work is way better than mine. but then again, i'm an amateur i was just thinking about making a new fretted one for my own use. one with a modern design without a scroll or corner blocks. maybe even a viola.. gotta think about it.. 6 String Violin? I like the idea of a freted violin, or atleast one with note markers. yeah it's gonna be a 6 stringer. it's actually more like a viola. i thought about using fret markers at first, but i realized that i couldn't see them at all when i was in the playing position. Edited May 29, 2005 by samoht Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted May 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 yeah it's gonna be a 6 stringer. it's actually more like a viola. Reminds me more of a viol de gamba, but I think those are closer to the size of a 'cello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samoht Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 yeah it's gonna be a 6 stringer. it's actually more like a viola. Reminds me more of a viol de gamba, but I think those are closer to the size of a 'cello. ← ur right the head carve really makes it look alot like viola da gamba.. but as you said, they're bigger. mine is gonna have metal frets instead of gut frets too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 TRAITOR!! You used to be a respectable -bass- builder, and now you've moved to violins?!! You make me sick. Seriously, though, it's nice to have you back. I'm glad to see you're doing something still with building instruments, and it looks like you've taken on quite a challenge. Didn't you build a violin from a kit before this, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted May 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 Didn't you build a violin from a kit before this, too? ← Yup, and that experience coupled with the researching I've done since building it has given me the knowledge & courage to take on one straight from rough wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samoht Posted May 30, 2005 Report Share Posted May 30, 2005 all i can say is that ur work is very clean. nice woods too. i should invest in some special tools too. the bending iron i've used before is basically a block of brass that i've heated on the stove i also haven't got those small fingerplanes.. i made one with a 1cm wide blade, but it's not small enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted June 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Because so many of you guys have been viewing my journal (thanks for the interest) my monthly bandwidth has gone up from 59% to 78% in one day! Because of this I reduced the pics to links, except for the first pic in each post. I found a new pic hoster with unlimited bandwidth, so I reposted all the pictures back to visible images. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted June 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 (edited) While working on it today, I took this pic: I thought I'd share it because I think it's kinda cool. (I'm using the spotlight to detect any irregularities in the arching, and scraping them out.) Edited June 16, 2005 by M_A_T_T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Big update today, I've begun hollowing out the back. Lotsa good pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 would building an upright bass be similar to a voilin, would it be the same construction methods but just on a larger scale? nice work Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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