June 2011

This violin is the beginning of an exciting project.  In November this year I will be making a copy of this violin with three of my colleagues and friends - Marc Soubeyran, Kai-Thomas Roth and William Castle.  This will take place at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, as part of the Manchester International Violin Competition.  The violin we have chosen as our model belongs to the RNCM - it was the instrument played by Adolf Brodsky, who founded the college; the violin is now part of the collection which is loaned to students. 

In May, Marc, Kai, William and I met at my workshop to make detailed measurements, drawings and take  photographs of the violin.

I’ve started with making the ribs for the violin.  After my week of cello making in Glasgow, I’ve learnt some new techniques which I’m keen to try out.  Rather than using a mould,  I’m  building the ribs round a former that locates the position of the blocks.

July 2011

The wood I have chosen for the back is some well-figured maple that I bought in Bavaria a few years ago.  I’ve just roughed out the arching using a large gouge.

I’ve started work on the scroll.  I’m working closely from the measurements and photographs that we took, trying to recapture the spirit of the original.

August 2011

The outlines of the back and front are now finalised, and I’m doing more work on the arching prior to fitting the purfling.

I’ve chosen wood for the front which is quite close to that of the original - fine, but widely spaced annual rings.  This is a really high-quality piece of wood that’s a pleasure to work. 

I’ve now fitted the purfling, again with close reference to the Guadagnini original.  This is wider than you often see on violins, and gives a lovely strong definition to the quite bold and masculine outline.

The arching is now finished, and I’m really pleased about how the violin is coming together - with a new model I’m never quite sure until the work is well under way.  I think the proportions of the instrument work well, and it is clearly designed to produce a powerful and characterful sound.  I can see why Guadagninis are so popular with musicians.

I’ve now thicknessed the back and front.  I’ve followed the thicknessing pattern of the original Guadagnini which is strong in the centre of the back and relatively light in the upper and lower bouts, and I feel that this has worked well.  The front has a good balance of weight and strength, helped by being such good quality wood.

The next jot is to cut the f-holes int he front.  These are quite elegant, with oval-shaped holes.

The final task on the front is to fit the bass bar, which helps to support the weight of the bridge, and which reinforces the lower register of the violin.

For this violin, I’ve tried a different sequence of assembling the body.  I glued the front to the ribs while the ribs were still on the mould, and then fitted the neck.  It’s easier to fit the neck without the back in place, and from time to time I find it beneficial to try new techniques, just to keep my approach flexible.

I’ve now glued the back to the violin, ensuring that the neck angle is absolutely correct.  I’ve enjoyed trying this new technique, which has worked really well for me.

The final jobs before starting the varnishing are to finish off the edges of the back and front, and to finish the neck shape.  I take a lot of trouble to make a neck that will feel as good as possible in the hand.

The violin is now finished “in the white”, ready to start varnishing. 

So far I’ve really enjoyed this project - it’s my first attempt at a Guadagnini, but as the instrument has progressed I’ve come more and more to appreciate the strengths of the design.  It feels as if it will sound really good, and also that it’s a very player-friendly instrument.  I’m now carefully planning the varnishing and looking forward to finishing it.

October 2011

I’ve now varnished the viola.  I’ve tried to keep a slightly more natural look to the varnish this time, so I haven’t polished the final surface, instead leaving some of the brush marks and texture of the final coat visible.  I’ve put on a little patina to soften the newness. 

I’m really pleased with the sound - it’s very powerful but also has a lot of quality.  The E string is sweet and sparkling, and there is real depth and gutsiness on the G.