As the parent of a violin student, you may be curious about how much you can expect to pay for a particular repair. Surprisingly, a soundpost veneer does not seem to affect the sound of an instrument, or require any change in the normal soundpost position. The comparison is made between the soundpost position at 517 and the other two in turn. Fyi, i usually ask between 3k and 5k, depending on the severity. Over the last two days we used a vacuum pump quite a lot. Its interesting to wonder abut the history of instruments based on the clues and evidence that can be seenso the old post repair was just a slab of spruce glued down across the grains.
Prepare the area to patch the sound post crack in the violin top is cleaned and reglued before the patch is fitted. Sound post at 530 position the long time average spectra, ltas, for these files are shown in figures 5 and 6. Posted in uncategorized tags repair restoration violin. Soundpost setter for violins,they are very good tools for the luthier this tool makes it easy insert,remove or adjust your sound post,great tool with sharpen end and 4 way head color. After coloring the patch, shaping the cleats and closing the box, dont forget about the new sound post that you are going to make better than the one before it. Basic repair and maintenance include rehairing bows, installing new bridges and sound posts, and making tonal adjustments. This is time consuming, expensive, and devaluing to the instrument. A soundpost crack is tough to repair and results in. The balance of the strings is affected by this distance. The violin, sometimes known as a fiddle, is a wooden string instrument in the violin family. The earliest violins date from before 1550 and an instrument dated 1567 is still in use today a testament to the reparability and quality of these instruments. Restored violin with cleats and sound post patch violin. An instrument with a wellexecuted patch in the top can be a very healthy instrument indeed.
When repaired properly with a sound post patch, the instrument can continue to be a reliable tool beyond your lifetime and perhaps even improve its tone. Sold by duoda digital and ships from amazon fulfillment. The soundpost introduces an asymmetry to the vibration modes of the body of the violin. About the soundpost setter, and choosing the wood part 2. The high notes come from the wood between the treble foot of the bridge and the top of the sound post. Posts about sound post patch written by lettersfromcremona. There are many, many issues and different kinds of repairs. The length depends on the arching, but may be a little above 50 mm in most cases. This old family heirloom was brought to me to be restored back to playing. It acts as a trampoline, with the soundpost constantly pushing it outward as it responds to the movement of the bridge. After making a surface curvature cast, the interior area near the sound post is carefully hollowed out to a thickness of 0,8mm. Fine strings is owned and operated by olivia pelling, a luthier based in ottawa, ontario, canada. Its endpin was in the wrong place so this was also repaired. Sound post cracks are very common in the long life of a violin family instrument.
It transpired that the instrument had already had a very old sp crack and 2 old soundpost patches, one large, covering the whole breast, the other normal soundpost patch being let into this. There are two crucial distances in the placement of the spruce sound post. Materials and tools block plane sharp knife wide gouge with tight sweep sharpened pencil. The basics of sound post setting for most of these string postings i write as an educator, but this time i write as an enthusiast. Cello sound post patch rates the pegbox maestronet forums. Wood that is compromised by a crack or, as we will see, worm damage, will be vulnerable as its subjected to the downward pressure of the bridge, and the upward pressure of a properly fitted soundpost. Fitting a sound post patch the first priority for the luthier is to close the. It is the smallest and highestpitched instrument soprano in the family in regular use.
My violin has a repaired sound post crack in the back. As a performer i always found it a little disappointing that most of us dont have any skills in upkeeping our instrument, whether its carving a. If a sound post is too long, we trim down the sound post to prevent the pressure from cracking the top plate. I will always estimate and advise you regarding any repair i believe is necessary for the health and. While the cost of a violin repair may vary depending on the severity of damage, the luthiers particular costs, or the age of the instrument, this list of common price ranges for student and intermediate violin repairs should give you a general idea of a how much you can. New or adjust sound post our technicians will properly select, fit and adjust a new thinned spruce sound post or properly reset your existing sound post to the correct position to optimize your particular instrument and its playing characteristics. Email me your questions about this topic, and i will answer in the text of the document. In some circumstances we just glue the crack and hope it holds, as would be the procedure on an inexpensive instrument.
I removed the old patch glued and studded the new crack. Specialized tools for standing up or moving a sound post are commercially available. I havent done one in a long time, and i may have the need too soon. Olivia is a secondgeneration luthier who comes from a family with a strong tradition of lutherie and craftmanship in canada and europe. Determining the height and fitting the post part 3. When a top crack passes over the sound post area it is the usual procedure to inlay a patch on the inside so that the pressure from the soundpost will not. An excellent set of tools to set, retrieve, cut to length the sound post of a violin, a product of usa 4 tools to assist you setting the sound post of a violin product information item weight 4 ounces product dimensions 14 x 0.
To repair it more successfully a patch of wood is used, on the inside of the violin. Would anyone else play on an instrument that had a crack like this. In other words, how can we change or adjust different parts of the instrument in. Dutch violin soundpost patch martin may 18, 2017 this 19th century dutch violin presented an interesting problem, as not only did it have a soundpost crack running down the front plate alongside where the treble bridge foot would sit but it also had a square piece of wood let into the top plate right under the location of the treble bridge. Changing the tuning up or down will change the pressure on the top of the instrument and might necessitate a different adjustment. When a top crack passes over the sound post area it is the usual procedure to inlay a patch on the inside so that the pressure from the soundpost will not reopen the crack. One case with my involvement was a ruggeri cello with a soundpost crack in the belly.
You might think only that the sound post has fallen. Fitting a soundpost patch in the back of a fine old english cello. This entry was posted on january 20, 2016 by andrew. Second video in a series on fitting a soundpost patch. Dutch violin soundpost patch the violineri melbourne.
Aside from the fact that the maple is twice as thick in the soundpost area, necessitating that much larger a patch, there is a greater chance of the crack reopening. When repaired properly with a sound post patch, the instrument. The position of the sound post inside a violin is critical, and moving it by very small amounts as little as 0. A patch is a more invasive procedure, but the location of a crack in the soundpost area necessitates its implementation. Repairing a crack over the sound post requires a patch on the inside of the top plate. Fits through fhole to measure correct length of sound post. Repairing an instrument with a sound post crack triangle strings. Cello soundpost patch bloomington string instruments.
The soundpost and bass bar are usually equidistant from the respective edge of bridge foot. Bqlzr violin soundpost tool soundpost clamp soundpost. When you and your violin maker are making soundpost adjustments, make sure it is tuned exactly as you are going to be playing it. At all times maintain awareness of post setter and edges of fhole to avoid damaging its edges picture 12. If it comes to a sound post crack a crack along the belly or back directly above or below the sound post, the only longterm repair possible is the installation of sound post patch.
Herdim deluxe small violin soundpost setter product number. Since the damage did not migrate through to the varnish side, there was only a small bit of filling and retouch to achieve an excellent result. Keeping post at a slight angle move toward center widest area of body, then begin standing post upright. As its italian name suggests, the sound post is one of the violin familys. Using post setter, insert post into treble side fhole with post toward the tailpiece. This measurement can be made with a cut business card.
Measurements the diameter of the finished soundpost is about 6 mm. Repairing an instrument with a sound post crack triangle. The main differences occur in the frequency range below 2 khz. The position of the patch is very carefully calculated and marked, both on the patch and the violin top to facilitate accurate location of the patch during the fitting process. When in position and with no string tension, the sound post should stand in position without falling when the violin is gently tipped. Violin repair and set up optimising sound production when sam asked me to give a talk i was thinking about how, as violin makers, we can get the best sound from any given instrument. The grain is rotated slightly with respect to the topwood, thus providing additional resistance to cracking.
The violin typically has four strings, usually tuned in. Suppliers of bowed stringed instruments and all related materials to musicians. The first is the relationship of the soundpost to the bass bar. It also provides a measure of support similar to the bassbar, for the top plate at a position that is subject to the downbearing of the strings through the bridge feet. When repaired properly with a sound post patch, the instrument can continue to. Page 1 of 4 sound post crack posted in viva strings. Please visit our website and see our other violins for sale. Hi all, im curious what the current rate for a cello sound post patch is. Violin soundpost patch repair this old violin was brought to olivia with a soundpost crack and 10 other open cracks which she repaired. The violin should be a different animal with the new sound post patch and taking the time to adjust it with your customer would be beneficial. The plot for no soundpost appears below that for the 517 position. Again, only a dealer, a luthier, or even a trusted violin teacher will be able to tell you if you should invest in repairing your violin. The sound of a bowed instrument violin family is not the sound of the vibrating string but the vibrating wood it activates through the bridge. Many times, string replacements and cleaning, refitting the bridge, soundpost, or other small fixes can make a huge difference in the look and sound of an older violin.
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