fiddler135 - Posted - 12/15/2022:  17:52:50

What archings do you carve into the top and back for a mellow vs bright sound? And for well balanced sound?

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 12/15/2022:  18:45:31

In general, higher, fuller arches produce a sweeter and more mellow tone, while lower, flatter arches tend to produce a more powerful and projecting tone.

The Amati family’s designs for arching were the Cremonese standard until Stradivari adapted Nicolo Amati’s arching, making it lower and flatter. Guarneri del Gesu followed suit. As a result, violins with fuller arches (e.g. Amati and Stainer) became less popular among professional violinists, who began playing in larger venues where projection was increasingly important.

That being said, the thickness and stiffness of the wood plays a significant role as well, which is why there is the occasional violin with a fuller arch that happens to project better than one might expect.

fiddler135 - Posted - 12/16/2022:  02:52:38

quote:

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Originally posted by The Violin Beautiful

In general, higher, fuller arches produce a sweeter and more mellow tone, while lower, flatter arches tend to produce a more powerful and projecting tone.



The Amati family’s designs for arching were the Cremonese standard until Stradivari adapted Nicolo Amati’s arching, making it lower and flatter. Guarneri del Gesu followed suit. As a result, violins with fuller arches (e.g. Amati and Stainer) became less popular among professional violinists, who began playing in larger venues where projection was increasingly important.



That being said, the thickness and stiffness of the wood plays a significant role as well, which is why there is the occasional violin with a fuller arch that happens to project better than one might expect.

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How would you carve the channel for a well balanced sound (and for mellow vs bright)? 

Edited by - fiddler135 on 12/16/2022 02:54:53

kjb - Posted - 12/16/2022:  05:11:29

get a plan with archings and thicknesses is a good start

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 12/16/2022:  06:39:10

quote:

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Originally posted by fiddler135

How would you carve the channel for a well balanced sound (and for mellow vs bright)? 

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More mellow violins often have a deeper channel that rises up to a thicker, rope-y edge. This is a common feature of modern Romanian violins. If you look at a Strad up close, you can see that the channel exists, but it's very shallow, almost a hint of one rather than an exaggeration.

I know a maker who went through a phase where he experimented with a very deep channel and thick edge work. 

 

On my own violins, I carve the channel while I'm establishing the arching and leave a platform at the edge for the purfling. When the arching is done, I close the box and purfle it, then roll the edges. Then it's just a matter of blending from the channel up to the crest of the edge. 

KCFiddles - Posted - 12/17/2022:  17:21:12

It's an interesting question, but it's not like a cookbook. too many variables. Generally high arching is sweeter and flatter arching is more powerful, but everyone can point o exceptions. Pick a model that works the way you like and try to emulate it and learn from it. That's what I'm doing:

I've got three or four fiddles that all my pro customers agree are tops for the kind of sound they like. I'm trying to analyze them to develop a model that I can market to pro and advanced Country, and Western Swing fiddlers. This is gonna involve scanning those existing fiddles, coming up with some digital patterns, machining and assembling plates onto at least half a dozen prototypes, just to see what works. The people I work with already know how to build $20K violins that can win auditions for major symphonies, and "pretty nice" $12K mandolins, but I want to consistently build a consistent, affordable Western Swing / Country fiddle. I don't know whether my project will work out, but I guarantee I'll learn something.

fiddler135 - Posted - 12/25/2022:  06:26:43

quote:

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Originally posted by The Violin Beautiful

quote:

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Originally posted by fiddler135

How would you carve the channel for a well balanced sound (and for mellow vs bright)? 

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More mellow violins often have a deeper channel that rises up to a thicker, rope-y edge. This is a common feature of modern Romanian violins. If you look at a Strad up close, you can see that the channel exists, but it's very shallow, almost a hint of one rather than an exaggeration.

I know a maker who went through a phase where he experimented with a very deep channel and thick edge work. 

 

On my own violins, I carve the channel while I'm establishing the arching and leave a platform at the edge for the purfling. When the arching is done, I close the box and purfle it, then roll the edges. Then it's just a matter of blending from the channel up to the crest of the edge. 

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What were the findings of the maker who experimented with different channels and edge work?

Edited by - fiddler135 on 12/25/2022 06:27:59

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 12/25/2022:  10:20:29

He abandoned the idea after three or four violins. It didn’t look or sound good and he got a lot of negative feedback about them from makers and players.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 12/25/2022:  16:33:08

quote:

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Originally posted by KCFiddles

It's an interesting question, but it's not like a cookbook. too many variables. Generally high arching is sweeter and flatter arching is more powerful, but everyone can point o exceptions. Pick a model that works the way you like and try to emulate it and learn from it. That's what I'm doing:



I've got three or four fiddles that all my pro customers agree are tops for the kind of sound they like. I'm trying to analyze them to develop a model that I can market to pro and advanced Country, and Western Swing fiddlers. This is gonna involve scanning those existing fiddles, coming up with some digital patterns, machining and assembling plates onto at least half a dozen prototypes, just to see what works. The people I work with already know how to build $20K violins that can win auditions for major symphonies, and "pretty nice" $12K mandolins, but I want to consistently build a consistent, affordable Western Swing / Country fiddle. I don't know whether my project will work out, but I guarantee I'll learn something.

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I have to agree. The mellowest sounding of my three fiddles is the one with the flattest arching and the most pronounced edge channel. By far.

Edited by - Lonesome Fiddler on 12/25/2022 16:35:25