by Guy Harrison | Feb 5, 2009 | Buying and selling
A colleague was looking to sell this old double violin case and bought it into the workshop. It was made for two 7/8 size violins probably around 1800 or earlier. There was no padding inside, just lined in thin blue felt. The outside was covered in leather with metal...
by Guy Harrison | Jan 21, 2009 | Violin making
This week I have been adjusting a viola I made last year. The sound was too much in the treble range for my taste and I wanted to bring more bass across all four strings. To achieve that I’m adjusting the bridge together with other changes to the viola. With...
by Guy Harrison | Jan 20, 2009 | Restoration
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...
by Guy Harrison | Jan 10, 2009 | Concerts
The Alaya String Quartet is performing in Ottawa in February. Based in Montréal, the Alaya String Quartet is comprised of four exciting players studying at l’Université de Montréal. Winners of the chamber music category in the Festival de Musique Classique du...
by Guy Harrison | Jan 8, 2009 | Violin making
This week I visited the Canadian Museum of Nature’s research centre and archive across the river in Quebec. I was there to see a demonstration of their 3D colour laser scanner. With this device, 3D images can be made of almost any object. Once the scans are on the...