Posted on 07/17/2005 9:35:07 AM PDT by nickcarraway
do you build them?
I always wanted to give it a try
Scientific american wrote a very detailed book about the physics of the violin
I own a couple of string instruments, viola being the most delicate, and they need repair now and then, so that is my involvement. I also lived for a while within a block of a violin factory and got to see some of the process. It is interesting how few players are willing to put glue to wood.
Classical music list ping.
I thought this would be of interest to the membership.
Republicanprofessor, the keeper of this list, is off-line, and I am the temporary caretaker of the list.
If you want on or off the list, let me know.
I have the wood gouges saws and chiseles as I do woodcarving.
Clamps and jigs however are another matter.
I have a chinese fiddle that I bought for 80 bucks back in the early 80s. I did all the black laquer work on it.
Fascinating insruments
I didnt know we had a classical music ping list!
Please add me to the list.
Dear mylife,
"I didnt know we had a classical music ping list!
"Please add me to the list."
I certainly will!
It is a verrryy low-ping list, though.
;-)
sitetest
The violin factory was also building a contrabass. Everything was scaled up and all their clamps were made by them right there. A person could specialize in making clamps because you need so many to hold the instrument together. Forms and pegs, steam bending tables, shapers and templates, it all gets to be quite an enterprise. Even the main worktable for contrabass work is a substantial piece of work and, if the garage is converted to a bass workshop, the SUV would have to sit in the driveway from then on.
Thank you sitetest!
Yes, I undetand it would be quite an investment and a rather expensive hobby. creating all the jigs would be quite a task
Right. It might be a side business in a town this size, 100,000, manufacture and repair, but it takes generations to find suitable workers and scale up to full manufacture, and it would be hard to compete with California, South Korea, and China on the world market, which we would have to do since we are physically isolated and would have to ship worldwide to make a go of it.
Id sure like to tour that factory.
Were is it located?
Europe.
Figures L0L I should have known it wasnt in arkansas!
It could be in Arkansas! How is the humidity? Florida would be hopeless because of humidity, but Arkansas is possible as a factory location.
L0L Im in Tx which is very humid.
Arkansas isnt as bad in my experience.
I know a great place in SE AZ that had good weather and 12- 38% humidity.
Population is about 30K
L0L There I go dreaming again L0L
Arizona would do. Setting up the plant would be a career in itself. A major part of the work is sent out into the community as piece work. That's probably how Stradivarious got started, doing piece work.
whats interesting is in this day of fedex and the internet the world is your local community
Though...too dry isn't good either.
The violin shop my sister works in, I think they try to keep to between 35 and 50% - mainly around 40.
Oh I also forgot that a wide array of custom wood scrapers would have to be produced.
It really is amazing how much work and art are involved in the production of the bowed instrument
Where does your sister work?
What does she do there?
questions questions L0L
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