Violinmaking- The Most Important Component

In addition to a previous article: "Not just Another Violin", I'd like to continue the representation of making an undersized violin in my violin-making-studio. The half-sized violin will be played by a young violin-student when it soon will be assembled and strung.

In Part2 of this violin making story I want to present you some photos and explanations of making the violin top, the so called sound board:

Follow this link to read Part1 if you like to read the whole story from the beginning: http://vio-line.blogspot.com/2010/09/not-just-another-violin.html

According to many other violin makers and much more violinrestorers the sound-board is a very powerful part of the violin.

(At this point it is important to note that a violin maker is someone who makes violins! Some so called violin makers do not fall in this category, but should be rather called violin-dealers or violin-restorers.)

Some say the belly is the most important component at all?!

In my opinion, to build an unique instrument with a stunning sound quality more than a good front-plate is needed! It is unfortunately necessary that all parts, their behavior and characteristics are observed by the maker. The violin makers goal should be to create a system of single parts, melted together, acting like one single body. It's like painting a portrait of a perfectly tuned body.

It's a challenge anyway!

violinmaking, tuning the soundboard - ©robert.grieshofer

In the manner of craftsmanship the art of making violins is a sum of routine and impulsive creativity! Much routine is needed not to fail in the manufacturing process, and the absence of creativity and flexibility usually results in flavourless instruments without any character in appearance and sound quality. Thousands of cheap mass-produced instruments give us evidence of a misled interpretation of the art of violin making in its traditional history and presence, where these precious attributes do not have been pursued entirely.

violinmaking, tuning the bassbar - ©robert.grieshofer

As a consequence, I do not use any molds and meters in the whole process of arching and tuning the violin-plates!!! Sharpened senses would be fully sufficient to achieve highest quality results and to be able to describe and reproduce detailed characteristics of selected violin parts.

At least a complete documentation is absolutely advisable too, because: Human tend to forget a lot!