Violin Strings- What you need to know!

Stringed instruments need strings which can be bowed or plucked to yield great music. These strings as well as these instruments are highly evolved over the last 500 years.  These incremental improvements have enabled the exquisite performances you hear today!

 String fabrication is an old technology! Herron-Allen tells us of sixteenth century makers following guidelines from Pythagoras! Musical preferences are also a consideration. Herron-Allen tells us that some players prefer a set of full diameter strings while some favor a set of thin diameter strings. He says nineteenth century players owned and used their own string-gauge. Strings must be "true". The diameter of each string must be uniform to achieve what twenty first  century users call "harmonicity". Perfect "fifths" must be produced With our musical practice, we "learn" technique based upon string diameter and sound. We, likewise,  benefit from  ongoing manufacturing improvements! .

These web sites give a history of strings.
http://www.damianstrings.com/sh-faq.shtml
http://www.nrinstruments.demon.co.uk/hstvnst.html

Currently, strings are manufactured both  in the USA and Europe with new entries from China. String making at the Dadarrio facility in Westchester county, NY, is covered by this video..

http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20118/12542/

For most of us, the synthetic core vs steel core issue is a primary one. Individuals will favor synthetic (perlon) or steel core. The following video will help illuminate this issue. If you play two instruments, one might need perlon and another a steel core!

http://www.ehow.com/video_12225013_synthethic-vs-steel-core-violin-strings.html

Gut strings dominated the first 400 years of string manufacture and continue in use today! Rome was the center of this skill with fruitful efforts from Naples, Padua, and Saxony.. "Catgut" was the material of choice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgut

You might consider the making of gut strings yourself!  Details from old sources (Herron-Allen", are rendered  faithfully present dayYouTube videos. Gut string making videos include

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1aYaHEl9Rg&feature=related

How can you best outfit your instrument? Replace your strings as recommended. Listen to your strings. Ask knowledgeable players to listen. Ask for their string selection advise. Viola, cello, and bass users will give different responses; learn from these also. Carefully read the web site information for several violin string vendors. Look for specific sound effects and imperfections you might have noted in your violin. Search for and implement string selection changes. Keep a log of your work. Compare perlon (synthetic) to steel core. Your violin and your musical needs will prefer one over the other!

Finally measure your string clearance. At the fingerboard end, the E clearance is 3.0 mm and the G is 5.5 mm. At the nut, both are 0.3 mm. A higher setting might affect sensitive fingers and artist  proficiency. (A USA dime is 1 mm, a penny 1.4 mm, and a nickel is 1.8 mm.) Combine this attention to an optimization of sound post position. Monitor the post location. Seek repair if it moves. (Winter to summer and vice versa climate swings might affect this position.)

Enjoy your playing and enjoy the benefits of your improved string knowledge and sophistication.

Secrets of Violin Making - Lesson 4 Fungi..

"Secrets off Violin Making" should/could include the modification of tonewood properties. One such modification might be "selective lignification" of spruce.   Francis Schwartz of the Swiss Federal Labs has postulated that one or more species of fungus might improve the tonewood properties!

He has postulated that "Physisporinus Vitreus" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physisporinus  and "Xylaria" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylaria are good candidates for such a process.

See  wikipedia.org/wiki/Physisporinus

See wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylaria_longpipes

He describes a selective lignification and a preferential degradation of bordered pit membranes both achievable without significant loss of wood strength!

We have all observed the rapid deteriorization of wood structures in harsh climates.

Usual fungal attack typically appears to be non uniform, attacking weak areas of exposed wood. For a tonewood modification process to be good, the treatment must be uniform. Uniform means uniform over an area of 18" by 10" for violins up to an area of 30" by 14" for cello construction.

For a productive process development effort:

1. The tonewood surface preparation must be characterized
2. An appropriate pre-treatment might be introduced to enhance uniformity
3. An optimum fungal agent (s) must be determined.
4. Treatment conditions must be optimized
5.  A uniformity measurement must be identified
6. A post-treatment must be effective in stopping the modification when complete

These activities are in progress at several locations. Instruments will be constructed and "blind" acoustical comparisons will be done. Stay tuned here for interesting outcomes!

Is there a future for these two together ......

See also  mussbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/2010/02/19/fungi_a_new_revolution_in_violin_making/

Secrets of Violin Making-Lesson 3 Varnishing the 1690 Stradivarius viola

Summer in Plymouth, Massachusetts...

Summer on the South Shore of Massachusetts Bay is a slower time. It is a time for beaches, light houses, sailing ships, and violin varnishing!

Jump!

No hurry!

Seals (and friends) this year!

Plymouth beach at dusk

Chatham light.....

Cedar point light...

Preparations for the 400th anniversary...

HMS Bounty visit..

Violin varnish and varnishes for wood surfaces are a very old technology.The varnish I use is linseed oil based, thinned with turpentine. It is applied outside; it drys slowly. I do summer things as it drys!

Flax is cultivated both for its fibers which can be woven into  linen and oil  which is called linseed oil. Fibers of linen have been dated to 30,000 BCE and, thus, represent the oldest domesticated plant material. see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flax  Flax seed oil has a long history as a varnish for wood surfaces. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil   Turpentine is a common and effective solvent for the thinning of linseed oil. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turpentine

A sable brush is ideal!

Application may take only 30 minutes but drying over two weeks! (each coat...)

The plan is to play this viola in November!

Guarnerius Family Page

The Guarnerius family page posting is a challenge with Wiki names and dates not in agreement with names and dates from Heron-Allen, Racster, and other 19 century sources. Historians have been and will continue to be busy! Another example of fame and notoriety coming later to an obscure craftsman.

 No matter, violins from this accomplished family have been and continue to be of interest to Violins of Plymouth and to all! Below are shown three reproductions and one darker brown original (?) Andreas Guarnerius. This 300 year old violin may alternatively be of Bohemian or Saxony provenance. Opposite is shown a VofP reproduction. The most famous Guarnerius, "del Gesu" is represented by reproductions shown by the top and lower images.

 

 On to the family history. Andrea Guarnerius, dates 1626 (30?)-1698 (95?), is identified as a pupil of Nicolo Amati of the Cremona school.

This  "Andrea Guarnerius" labeled instrument has been in my possession and care since 1980.

Andrea's sons included Pietro Giovanni, 1666-1740, called Pietro of Mantua, the eldest, Pietro  of Cremona  1690-1725, and others. Historians are not clear on family details.

These talented family members were followed by the third generation (including cousins) with Pietro Guarnerius, 1696-1762, called  Pietro of Venice, and (Bartolomeo) Giuseppe (Antonio) Guarnerius, 1698-1744, called del Gesu,  who fabricated some of the finest violins ever! His instruments have been played and treasured by the greatest violinists, some of whom can be seen and heard playing Guiseppe Guarnerius violins on Youtube! See below (Instrument of the Devil) for Paginini's performances with the Guarnerius "Cannon"!

Joshua Bell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FTjjGOeuoY

Kristof Barati
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_8M9Ycd35k

Michail Kaznik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ciBcmwBDyk

Ruggiero Ricci
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wNcyL2JYU8


A Violins of Plymouth reproduction of a G. Guarnerius middle period instrument is shown in the following four photographs.

Reproductions of these instruments are wonderful to work on, to fit up, and to play! Here in this workshop the newly completed instruments wake up to the Bach d minor solo partitas!

Should f-holes be "standardized" ?

We all own and play violins and violas with "standardized" f-holes. Is this good? Do we like the "standardized" sounds, especially the high frequencies? Did early music benefit from early sound holes? Do today's "early music" performances lack essential acoustical features?

At Violins of Plymouth, new (old) sound holes are being tested.

What and where are the inspirations for these novel sound holes?

The answer varies. From time to time, museums are explored for insights into past designs. Below is a gallery at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg!

The past owners of this palace (now state museum)  in Russia, owned several elegant instruments. They, the Czars Alexander and Nicholas, even preferred violins in their wall decorations!

Might this design yield a more elegant sound quality?

We may empirically test this proposition!