Violin- 18th Century Milan
This interesting smaller size violin was brought to the shop for cleaning and a check over. It was made in Milan in about 1740 and is perhaps the work of Paolo Antonio Testore.
Often on a violin of this age we find minor cracks. These can be glued from the outside without removing the top. In order [...]
Cello repair -
The cello side shown below is from an 18th Century German cello made in Mittenwald by a member of the Klotz family. The ribs over the years had been cracked in various places and had some wood worm damage as well.
It was brought into the workshop for restoration.
We used a variety of techniques to reinforce the [...]
Landolfi (Milan 18th C.) violin repair
Below is a violin by Carlo Fernando Landolfi from 18th Century Milan. It was brought into the shop for restoration.
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The peg box had been fitted with plastic peg bushings by another violin shop. Traditionally when the peg holes are badly worn, the holes are filled with wood and fresh holes are redrilled. In this case [...]
The Leading Note Foundation
A great music program started recently in Ottawa has been the Leading Note Foundation
The program gives children from low-income communities the opportunity to learn and make music together. Lessons are provided by volunteers. Instruments have been donated by the public and violin shops. We donated a student cello and violin.
Many of the donated instruments [...]
New neck graft
While making a copy of Yehudi Menuhin’s Guarneri Del Gesu violin, my assistant and I have also been making a cello. It’s inspired by the ‘Castlebarco’ 1699 Stradivari cello at the Library of Congress and the ‘Servais’ 1701 Stradivari cello at the Smithsonian. Both are in Washington D.C., which I visited a few years ago.
Our [...]
Soundpost patch - Italian violin by A. Gavatelli
The owner of this violin had been trying to shine up her violin with a cleaning solution, which are sold in small bottles by many violin shops in Canada. Overtime the rosin and sticky residue left by the cleaner had built up a thick dirty layer over the front of her violin.
I don’t recommend or [...]
Restoration of a violin by Claude A. Miremont, Paris 1856.
This fine French violin made in 1856 by Claude A. Miremont came into the shop a while ago after a terrible accident. I show this as a warning to players who rest their fiddles on chairs! As you can see the back and ribs were badly broken and to a lesser extent the [...]