Kowhai #2

Violin, Kowhai Series #2

This is the second build of my Kowhai series violin design, first strung 26 March 2021. Initial construction was started during downtime in other work. Characteristic of my work, the instrument has a robust neck, deep arching and a triangulated bass bar, giving increased internal volume and added stiffness and strength while producing a clear, full sound.

Development

These first three photos show the face taking shape after the outline cut. 
#1 shows the straight saw cuts for the perimeter ridge, and initial rough gouging for the arching.

#2 shows the rough shaping finished, before plane/scrape/sand.

#3 Shows the first half of the purfling channel being cut.


And now we have the purfling complete front and back. For this fiddle I have created a simple rose motif, adding in a descending leaf from the neck mount.

This is of the Kowhai design, so for the back of the scroll I created a design with three flowers.  The neck is lean, which will be great for players with small hands!

The neck mortise is trim and secure:

The fittings - fingerboard, chin rest and tailpiece - are from two pieces of recycled Rimu.