Category Archives: cello

Finding Waldo: The First Family of American F-Hole Mandolins, Mandolas, and Mandocellos

2014
AL#117 p.24               
Paul Ruppa                                                                                           

▪ Paul Ruppa traces the largely unknown history of the American F-hole Mandolin, Mandola, and Mandocello to their roots in the Waldo brand; originating with the Barrows Music Company in Saginaw, Michigan.

Ultralight Cello and Other Heresies

2012
AL#112 p.6               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Using a variety of unusual instruments, Ham attempts to debunk the myth in traditional violin making that the classical solution is the only good solution. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

About the Cello Tailpiece

1999
AL#58 p.46   BRB5 p.370            
Eric Fouilhe                                                                                           

▪ What affect does the tailpiece have on your latest fiddle? Bet you don’t even know! We’ll bet you haven’t even thought about it! The cello is the object of concern here, but is there a large difference? The cello tailpiece has evolved into an inelegant plastic lump, and Fouilhe maintains that it’s often a source of sonic foul play, sort of like a 200-pound jockey on a race horse. He makes his case with 3 photos and 2 drawings.

Review: Violin Making—Live! Watch Me Make a Cello, Step-by-Step by Henry Strobel

1999
AL#58 p.56   BRB5 p.481            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this set of three video tapes (about 6-hrs. worth) to be roughly made but perhaps invaluable to the learn-at-home crowd.

Ten Fiddle Books

1998
AL#53 p.52   BRB5 p.486            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A non-fiddle maker reviews 10 of the less expensive books about building violins. Are they useful? Interesting? Deadly dull? Worth the bread? There are far more expensive books in this category, but these are the ones most likely to be encountered by the beginner. This will give you a leg up before you order.

Scroll Carving

1997
AL#52 p.28   BRB5 p.152            
Guy Rabut                                                                                           

▪ To non-fiddle people all violins look about the same. To the initiated, however, they are vastly different. Besides offering a thorough description of his scroll carving techniques, Rabut gives us a glimpse into the world of the violin in-crowd where an appreciation for subtlety is the stock-in-trade. Guy is a high-profile maker who has had the opportunity to examine many world-class violins. With 52 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Violin Q & A: Pitch of the Neck/Elmers Glue/Poplar

1995
AL#44 p.54   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ What is neck pitch, and what does it do to/for the violin? How does one deal with an Elmer’s glue repair? Why is poplar sometimes used for the cello and viola? Darnton tells all.

Violin Q & A: Fingerboard Step/Rib Junction Angles/French Belgian Cello Bridges/Oil Varnish Zits/French Polish Cracks

1995
AL#41 p.56   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why is there a step in the neck behind the nut of my fiddle? What angle are the junctions of the ribs cut to at the corners? What’s the difference between French and Belgian cello bridges? Zits in the varnish? Why does my French polish crackle?

Review: The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments by Bob Brozman

1994
AL#37 p.57   BRB4 p.458            
Ron Lira                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer says, “I’m so impressed with this book I could just bust!” Apparently America now has a National heaven.

Violin Q & A: String Recommendations/Purfling Grooves

1993
AL#36 p.58   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton discusses classical violin strings and a timesaving method of cutting the purfling slots.

In Memoriam: Hammond Ashley

1993
AL#34 p.61   BRB3 p.499            read this article
David Wilson   Peggy Warren                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Hammond Ashley, aged 91, advocate of fine music and fine musical instrument making.

Meet the Maker: Guy Rabut

1992
AL#32 p.52   BRB3 p.268            read this article
Tim Olsen   Guy Rabut                                                                                       

▪ A long-time Guild member makes it as a violinmaker in the Big Apple after a twenty-year run. Mentions Ed Campbell, Peter Prier, Rene Morel.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Michael Darnton

1991
AL#28 p.51   BRB3 p.124            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Darnton                                                                                       

▪ Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie’s Violin Q&A man.

Using Your Work Space from the 1990 GAL Convention panel

1991
AL#27 p.4   BRB3 p.80            
Chris Brandt   R.E. Brune   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Richard Schneider   Ervin Somogyi   David Wilson                                                                       

▪ A look inside the shops of six professional luthiers, featuring floor plans, tooling descriptions, notes on lighting and specialized machinery, and ideas about how work space can help (or hurt) your lifestyle. With a good Q&A segment and 63 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Special Caliper for Cello

1989
AL#18 p.44   BRB2 p.246            
Jack Levine                                                                                           

▪ Levine made a deep-throated caliper for accurately measuring the thickness of the cello plate that is not removed, when the other is.

Collapsible Cello Mold

1989
AL#17 p.40   BRB2 p.194            
Jack Levine                                                                                           

▪ Levine solves a problem many of us might face at first: How to set up shop in a confined, shared workspace. The solution is a takedown mold and a secure footlocker for tools and work in progress.

Meet the Maker: Hammond Ashley

1988
AL#15 p.30   BRB2 p.82            
Tim Olsen   Hammond Ashley                                                                                       

▪ This is a “factory tour” of the Ham Ashley shop.They specialize in the larger members of the violin family.

Violin Q & A: Soundpost Patch/Hide Glue Shelf Life/Violin Secrets/Wood/Hammond Violin/Linings/Top Crack Repair/Schools/Violin Shop/Tone/Varnish Making

1987
AL#10 p.28   BRB1 p.482            read this article
George Manno                                                                                           

▪ Manno fields 2 pages of questions about building and repairing the fiddle family, from the basic “What kinda glue?” to “What kind of cello bridge to aid projection?”

The Paul Schuback Story

1987
AL#9 p.6   BRB1 p.304            read this article
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ In this fascinating lecture from the 1986 GAL convention Schuback speaks of his apprenticeship to a French violin maker in 1962, then goes on to offer details about instrument construction, wood, and a Q&A session.