Posted on October 25, 2021March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part One: Mold and Template Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part One: Mold and Template by Robert J. Spear Originally published in American Lutherie #93, 2008 see also, Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Two: f-holes by Robert J. Spear Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Three: The Scroll by Robert J. Spear I have little doubt that artists, artisans, and architects of the Renaissance and Baroque used some system of guidance for their drawings that was based on the knowledge of geometry and the use of straightedge and divider. I began my drawing adventure almost five years ago by following the guidelines for the geometric design of the Model G in Sacconi’s book and soon discovered errors. Even so, I was convinced that it would be worthwhile to use a classical Cremonese approach based on geometry because I wanted to see if I could integrate it with Hutchins and Schelleng’s scaling theories used for the New Violin Family. While the acoustical aspects of the exercise are not germane here, I worked to realize a design system that would essentially produce a second generation of octet instruments close to a classical Cremonese violin in the style of the Model G Stradivari. My goal was to impart a greater uniformity to the octet family’s models, but to keep this article within bounds I have confined my remarks to the violin. There are those who question whether geometric design really played an important role in violin design and suggest that the model outline could be designed freehand. Others allow that some sort of geometrical or proportion scheme was used, but that it was not based on the golden section. A few ask why one can’t just get a good photo of a good model and enlarge or reduce it at the local copy center. You can (and I did at first), but because strange things start to happen in the larger and smaller instruments during the scaling process, straight scaling does not hold up. Still others, including Sacconi, stress that the eye was the final arbiter of any design, no matter how it was derived. I will attempt to address all of these points in this series of articles. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on October 25, 2021March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Two: f-Holes Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Two: f-Holes with Robert J. Spear Originally published in American Lutherie #94, 2008 see also, Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part One: Mold and Template by Robert J. Spear Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Three: The Scroll by Robert J. Spear The Cremonese design for the f-holes of a violin, at first glance, would appear to be based on the same design philosophy as the body and to make extensive use of the golden section. A. Thomas King, in his article “The Cremonese System for Positioning the f-Holes” in The Strad, shows rather convincingly that golden-section divisions based on the distance between the pins on the body was employed to fix the location of the f-hole eyes, which further reinforces this idea. However, when it comes to f-holes, I would like to suggest that there are a couple of additional jokers in the deck. First, the late Cremonese f-hole is derived from an earlier system of design, and some of the important parts of the predecessor system remain in use; second, an entirely different modulus is used for the f-holes than for the body; and, third, little is based on the golden section. The Forma G violin, upon which my model is based, is not quite the longest violin Stradivari ever made, but it is the widest. The most notable increase in width is in the center bout, which has another direct impact on the design of the f-hole and its placement. King notes that there is a general method for most Cremonese violins and a specialized adaptation for Stradivari violins. King explained the rather unintuitive step of taking the golden section of the distance between the locating pins in the top as the modulus for positioning the f-holes. I have used his approach here because it has many good points of correlation, and because I found an additional correlation that has convinced me even further that his hypothesis is correct. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on October 25, 2021March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Three: The Scroll Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Three: The Scroll with Robert J. Spear Originally published in American Lutherie #95, 2008 see also, Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part One: Mold and Template by Robert J. Spear Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Two: f-holes by Robert J. Spear Scrolls are all about spirals, and in mathematics only two kinds of spirals exist: the Archimedean and the logarithmic. The Archimedean is considered a special case because it is the only spiral where the expansion of each complete turn is identical in dimension to the one before or after it. A commonly used example is that of a tightly coiled garden hose laid on a flat surface. All other spirals, including golden-section spirals, are logarithmic. Although the actual distance between turns of log spirals is not uniform, the rate of expansion remains constant. To the Renaissance geometer and artisan, spirals were a natural form of great beauty and inspiration. A spiral played with the viewer’s visual senses, leading his eye on a merry chase and fooling it with the subtle shifting of its expansion. In modern times, the execution of the scroll is considered one of the few remaining places on the violin where the craftsman can display individuality, originality, and skill — and sometimes even all of these together! Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on September 22, 2021March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Shop-Made Bandsaw Dust Port Shop-Made Bandsaw Dust Port by John Calkin Published online by Guild of American Luthiers, September 2021 My old bandsaw was made before dust ports were added to every power machine, so I made one out of wood. It's a close copy of the heavy-gauge steel cover for the lower wheel but made out of light plywood. The dust port itself was purchased and screwed to the cover. A mahogany interface to accept the 3" vacuum hose was made to fit the port. The sides of the cover were kerfed to permit easy bending to match the original metal cover. I think the rest of the construction is self-explanatory. ◆ All photos by John Calkin
Posted on September 22, 2021March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Building the Tar Building the Tar by Nasser Shirazi Originally published in American Lutherie #10, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 The Tar (meaning “string” or “chord” in Farsi) is a classical Iranian stringed instrument which has two body cavities and is played by plucking the strings. The two sound chambers are covered with two separate skin membranes. The instrument’s six strings are tuned in pairs and are played with a brass plectrum inserted in a lump of beeswax. The tar is an integral part of classical Iranian music ensembles, along with the kamanché, setar, ney, santour, tomback, and oud. The soundbox is extensively made of mulberry wood, although other woods such as maple, walnut, and apricot have also been used. Use a well-seasoned wood with no knots, checks, or other wood defects known to luthiers. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
