Violin based on Guarneri del Gesu 1734 |
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return to work in progress April 2008 It's been some time since I've made a violin so I've been quite excited about this. In honour of this event, I've decided to make a new model, and I've picked a particularly lovely Guarneri del Gesu from his middle period. I like to make violins based on del Gesu for their gutsy, strong sound and for the spontaneity and character of their looks.
May 2008
June 2008
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As
usual, I start work with the ribs and the scroll. The ribs are
made from strips of well-figured maple, in this instance from the same
block of wood as the back, planed down to just over 1mm thick then
heat-bent to fit round a mould.
The
head is carved from a block of maple. The picture show it in the
early stages, then finished.
For
the back, I've chosen a lovely piece of maple that I bought in Germany a
few years ago. It's quite light in weight and has a good, broad
figure. The arching is roughed out of the solid wood using a large
gouge.
Once
the the rough-arching of the back and front is finished , I finalise the
outlines to an even margin around the ribs.
The
next stage is to inlay the purfling. This is partly decorative,
but also has a useful function; it helps stop damage to the edges of the
instrument spread into long cracks. It's made from a sandwich of
black and white wood, and inlaid into a channel cut round the edge of
the violin.
I've
now finished the arching of the back. This model has a lovely flow
from the purfling into the arching.
The
next job is to hollow out the back and the front, first using a large
gouge to take out most of the waste wood, then small planes and
scrapers. The decision about when to stop is critical, and varies
from instrument to instrument, depending on the density and stiffness of
the wood, and the shape of the arching. This one has worked out
well - it's light but stiff.
With
the thicknessing finished, I've cut the soundholes in the front.
The
work on the body of the viola is now almost finished; the bass bar
fitted to the inside of the front and the ribs glued to the back.
It's
always good to see the body completed; the separate parts together and
the violin showing its own character.
I've
now fitted and shaped the neck, taking care to make a good, smooth and
comfortable shape.
The
violin is finished in the white, ready for varnishing. This is a
complex process - first a primer layer, to colour and protect the wood,
then a sealer, then a coat of clear varnish to stop the subsequent
richly coloured layers penetrating the wood. The colour layers are
of an oil varnish, made from materials that would have been known to the
violin makers of the 17th century.
