Rogue's Gallery

 Over the years my workbench has hosted many instruments that have been damaged in ways that should not have happened.  Here are a few of them:

1.     Violin bridge - hot-glued to the instrument:

2.    Double Bass - a neck repaired with two screws and a bolt:

3.    Markneukirchen Violin (Late 19th Century catalogue instrument) - the inside of the face could never be seen, so why go to the effort?  Rough gouging with what passes as a bass bar carved out.  Pictures are before and after I finished the job, 100 years later:

Violin f-Crack

 February 2025

This is an heirloom instrument of some value.

Made in (estimated) the 1890's for the German trade, it is a classic Maggini copy (extra turn in the scroll, double purfling) from an extraordinarily highly-flamed maple, with the neck likely carved from the same timber.

There had been an earlier single-cleat repair on a long f-crack, but the single cleat had not kept the crack from opening again.

Removing the face showed the repair history, with a second (smaller) crack cleated alongside the major crack.

As replacing the cleat would not suffice, I cut a cross-grain filet from some larch that I had already sized (see my post about a dulcimer build!).  A sharp pencil outlined the filet when placed over the crack, and some careful work with a scalpel and carving chisel soon excavated a light recess in the violin face.

Some fresh hide glue was used on both surfaces, and the filet was then clamped in place for a few days for the glue to properly cure and set.

The glued filet was then dressed down to a shallow curved profile that was lower than the original cleat.  By cross-graining it the filet gives a greater structural strength to the face along the crack without sacrificing tone.

I then reinstated the face, and late completed the normal set-up (soundpost, check-ream the peg holes, lubricate the pegs, restring).  The chin-rest was a little tired, so some linseed oil rejuvenated it nicely.

Result?  The violin has a tone worthy of a soloist's instrument, with a warm rounded sound, no treble squawk, and precision of pitch and clear projection.  Ready for another century of playing!

Guitar Bridge

February 2025 

This classic guitar had been recovered from a skip by a guitarist who only saw the case.  It had (criminally?) been strung with steel strings, ultimately tearing the bridge off.

As with all glue repairs, the process was to thoroughly clean and dress both surfaces - body and bridge - of all residue, down to the timber.  The guitar face is of small thickness, I carved the cross-hatch keying into the bridge only.

On an acoustic guitar with a body bridge, the bridge is the point on the guitar that is under the greatest tension.  Accordingly, the glue must be ridiculously strong. Also, on both surfaces take care that the glue is bonded to the entire surface and will not easily drag off.

Once glued, the bridge was clamped tight enough to push excess glue out around the edge.  This glue was left in place, so as to not smear.

The clamps were removed after three days, and the excess glue was trimmed off using a scalpel, and a bead of shellac run around the edge to seal the join.

When restrung, the strings were not brought up to full tension for a day, and then re-tuned twice a day for the next week to both stretch them in, and to ensure the integrity of the bond.

Bow - Larch #1

 This was made a trial, testing the suitability of larch as a bow wood, as opposed to the traditional pernambuco, which is losing favour owing to the need to preserve the amazon rain forest. 

The larch was a remnant from a dulcimer build.  I will also make sticks from Casuarina, Rimu, Matai and Kauri.

The curve was cut in, rather than bending a straight stick.  Cutting the curve maintains the integrity of the grain, and heat-bends can straighten over time if the environmental factors are not controlled.

The tip is lined with bone, shaped from a sheep scapula.

I carved the frog from a piece of Rimu, with a pair of abalone dots inset on each side.  I used a vinegar/steel wool dye to darken the frog wood prior to polishing.

As this was a trial to assess the suitability of larch as a bow wood, I dressed it with old hair recovered from a broken stick - as such, the hair is a little shorter than ideal, but I will rehair it at a later date.

Violin - Kowhai #3 2024

 

 

Violin - Kowhai Design #3

This instrument is the youngest, being completed in May 2024.  It is currently being played-in, but is still available for any interested players.

Sourced from Switzerland, the back and ribs are maple, and the face is spruce.  The body design is the same outline as used for the Kowhai violins. 

The face is carved from spruce, with f-holes cut long to help with the voice. 

The neck is of conventional measurements, and from maple.

The instrument is finished in a combination of pure garnet shellac, and a single coat of my shellac/rosin varnish.

As with other instruments of my Kowhai design, I carved a Kowhai flower and leaf motif around the back of the scroll.

As with my other instruments, the fingerboard, chinrest and tailpiece are all carved from the same piece of Rimu.

Mandola

 MANDOLA

This is a bespoke Mandola, created using recycled native timbers.

I created it for a performer, so included a pair of piezo contact mikes.  The face and back are from a Kauri board that I had to mill down to the right thickness (chisel, plane, sand...).  The sides are larch, using remnants from the Appalachian dulcimer.

The neck and faceplate are Rimu - the faceplate is dyed (iron and vinegar) black and shellacked.

I laid a sheet of Teak veneer over the fingerboard before fretting.

All in all, a tidy Resonator Mandola that has a great, rounded tone.

Here are images from its construction:

Tuning Tricks

 Violins do not stay in tune.

It is an inescapable fact.  The strings stretch, and continue to do so until they wear and break - and then you start again with new strings.

The strings are anchored at two points - the peg, and the adjuster - or tailpiece, if not using an adjuster. The tail end - tail or adjuster - are quite stable, but the pegs are not.

FACT - strings will never go sharp on their own, as that requires an increase in tension.

Strings will always go flat as they stretch, and the peg eases back slightly.  This can be caused by changes in the air temperature, as well as a stretch response to the string tension.  Warm air will cause the strings to soften slightly, and the wood expands. Also, low humidity can cause the wood to dry slightly, with a slight shrinkage resulting. Combined, these can cause the peg to loosen slightly, easing off tension on the string.

So, How to set up and adjust strings...

PEGS:

1.    The peg must be lubricated.  This can be as simple as rubbing a pencil lead around the wood, as the lead is actually graphite mixed with clay.

2.  The strings should be wound from the anchor hole back towards the peg hole. As winding increases, the string pushes against the pegbox, pulling the peg into the hole, helping to secure it against slippage.

TIP:  If you cannot easily grip or turn the pegs, use a peg-winder.  These fit over the peg, and give both a secure grip and increased leverage to turn sticky pegs.  They can be bought online and in music stores - guitarists always carry them.  Just ask for a string winder, no need to bother with naming the instrument.

ADJUSTERS:

The common adjusters are simple levers. As you tighten the screw, it pushes down on the angled lever which pivots, pulling the string tighter.

As a rule, it should never be screwed right down at its tightest.  The lever becomes perilously close to the violin, and if you have a low bridge the lever can impact with the violin face, both scratching it and causing a buzzing rattle when you play the instrument.

FACT:  The scroll is not purely decorative.  If you do not use adjusters on the lower strings, you must tune using the pegs.  The scroll acts as an anchor for your hand while you use your thumb and forefinger to turn the peg.

Useful tool:    Smart phone.  Install a tuner app.  There are many free ones available.  

SET UP:

The adjusters should be barely screwed in, through to moderate tension only.  To correctly set up the peg-adjuster combination:

1.  Ease off the peg

2.  Tighten the adjuster until it is just over half-full tension

3.  Turn on the phone tuner app of your choice.

4.  Tighten the string using the peg until it is slightly sharp

5.  Ease off the adjuster until the string is in tune.

The adjuster should now be on the lower side of tension, so as the string continues to stretch and go flat, you can easily tune it up using the adjuster.

Note that if you reach a point where the adjuster is screwed right down, reset the peg-adjuster combo using the steps above.  This way, until the string is totally stretched, or if the peg slips (warm, or dry air) you can keep the instrument tuned using the adjusters only.