Posted on January 6, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: How to Make a Violin Bow by Frank V. Henderson Review: How to Make a Violin Bow by Frank V. Henderson Reviewed by David Riggs Originally published in American Lutherie #25, 1991 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 How to Make a Violin Bow Frank V. Henderson Murray Publishing Co., 1977 LCCN 77375025 This may be the most useful “how-to” book you will read on any lutherie topic. If you ever wanted to make a bow; if you like clear, concise directions on toolmaking, sharpening, workbenches, investment casting, the use of machine tools in woodworking, or a good many other topics of immediate concern to those working with instruments; if you can appreciate an easily read treatment of an interesting topic which will be clear to readers with little or no lutherie experience, this book will bang your gong! The author makes no pretense that his book will fit a craftsman to make his or her living as a bow maker. It does, however, actually show you that to make a very credible violin bow does not require supernatural skill or secret knowledge, a pleasant surprise if you have read other books on the subject which seem to actually discourage you from the undertaking. This is not a subject about which a ton is in print. Not that you need a ton if you have this 182-page illustrated volume. 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 January 6, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: Italian Violin Varnishes by George Fry Review: Italian Violin Varnishes by George Fry Reviewed by George Manno Originally published in American Lutherie #7, 1986 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 Italian Violin Varnishes George Fry Virtuoso Publishers, 1981 Out of print (1999) Any book on making violin varnish, I buy. Halfway through most, I find my money would have been better spent elsewhere. Not so with this well-written conglomeration of facts, recipes, and chemical analyses. A novice with a little experience in varnish making will be able to understand Mr. Fry’s sometimes complex theories. Mr. Fry goes into great detail explaining each and every experiment he made to obtain color, transparency, and consistency of the varnish he thought to be used 250 years ago by the great Italian masters. Unfortunately, some of the materials used in Fry’s experiments are more scarce now than when the book was first published in 1901. 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 January 6, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: The Technique of Violin Making by H.S. Wake Review: The Technique of Violin Making by H.S. Wake Reviewed by Frederick Battershell Originally published in American Lutherie #3, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 The Technique of Violin Making H.S. Wake published by H. S. Wake, 1973 $23 from Stewart-MacDonald (1999) The good news about privately-published books is they make hitherto obscure information available to the public. The bad news is these privately-published books are seldom reviewed, and as a result of this lack of constructive criticism, are apt to be poorly written. The author may be more intent on presenting his point of view than with enabling his readers to understand what he is trying to say. The Technique of Violin Making has some of these faults. 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 January 5, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: Violin Rehairing with Roger Foster Review: Violin Rehairing with Roger Foster by Ronald Louis Fernández Reviewed by Ken Altman Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Violin Rehairing with Roger Foster Filmed and presented by Ronald Louis Fernández DVD, 53 minutes $59.95 from Fernández Music Box 5153, Irvine, CA 92616 www.fernandezmusic.com Bow rehairing is a bread-and-butter job for shops that do work on instruments of the violin family. Professional players may have their bows rehaired twice a year, and even casual players may need to get new hair every year or two. It’s work that can be tedious and that must be done with care in order to do a good job and to avoid damaging delicate bows. I have quite a few bows come through my shop each week for rehairing and repairs, and unfortunately far too many of them have been damaged by careless, unskilled, and untrained workers. Educational materials that would impart knowledge about the craft of bow rehairing might just save a few bows from premature demise. The cover of the DVD case for Violin Bow Rehairing with Roger Foster carries the byline, “This DVD shows how a professional violin and bowmaker rehairs a bow in his shop,” and the video does indeed deliver on that promise. We get to watch the whole process from beginning to end, with Mr. Foster offering comments and explanations along the way. He starts by inspecting a bow for any damage that may need attention, and then proceeds to take the bow apart, clean the various parts, and prepare the bow for receiving new hair. There follows a long sequence showing how the wooden plugs for holding the hair in the frog and tip mortises are made, a critical step in doing a rehair. I thought it was good that he showed this process in real time, conveying the attention to detail necessary to insure that the plugs fit properly. There are cutaway views of a bow tip and frog, which illustrate clearly how the plugs should fit. From there he goes through the steps of selecting the hair, tying the ends, securing the hair in the tip and frog, fitting a spreader wedge, and taking care of the finishing touches. Through each of these steps he stresses the importance of working conscientiously, taking care not to damage the bow. I found this very commendable. 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 January 4, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: Violin-Making as It Was, and Is by Ed. Heron-Allen Review: Violin Making as It Was, and Is by Ed. Heron-Allen Reviewed by Kirk A. Janowiak Originally published in American Lutherie #4, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 Violin Making as It was, and Is Ed. Heron-Allen Ward Lock Limited Publishers, 1884 Distributed by Sterling Publishing Co., New York, 1984 Out of print (1999) Some years ago, I discovered this title in a catalog for luthiers. I noted that it was first published in 1884, and promptly filed the title away in the back of my mind as one of those “quaint, historical classics” that I might acquire later, after I had purchased all of the more practical books on the craft. Now, having finally acquired the book, I am pleased to say that I was greatly mistaken about the practical value of this book. While it is a “quaint, historical classic,” it is also a comprehensive and valuable treatise on the history, design, and construction of the traditional violin. Heron-Allen submitted this book to fill the void he saw in his time (mid- to late 1800s) regarding the history and construction of the traditional violin. He had originally published much of the material in serial form in the periodical Amateur Work Illustrated (1882–1884). With this work, he corrected, embellished, and further refined his material. He also added a section of history and lore. 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.
