What Makes a Great Violin: The Wood or the Maker?
Edgar Russ Distinguished Violinmaker
6,075 views
What makes a great violin: exceptional wood, or the experience of the violin maker who knows how to use it?
In violin making, we spend a lot of time talking about materials. Spruce, maple, density, grain, figure, age and quality of the wood all matter. But after more than 40 years of making violins in Cremona, I have learned that even the finest tonewood cannot make a great instrument by itself.
In this video, I want to explore the relationship between **material and experience**.
How important is the quality of violin wood? Can an experienced violin maker achieve an exceptional result with a less extraordinary piece of material? And what happens when beautiful, expensive tonewood is placed in the hands of someone who does not yet have the experience to understand it?
Choosing the right spruce and maple is certainly part of violin making, but understanding the material is something completely different. Every piece of wood has its own characteristics, and the maker has to make decisions throughout the entire process: arching, thicknesses, weight, stiffness and many other small details that ultimately influence the response and sound of the finished violin.
This is where experience becomes so important.
From our violin making workshop in Cremona, Italy, I share my thoughts on **tonewood selection, violin construction, craftsmanship and the experience behind a great sounding violin**.
So, if you had to choose between extraordinary material and an extraordinary makerโฆ which one would you choose?
Let me know your opinion in the comments.
#ViolinMaking #ViolinMaker #Cremona
Meanwhile all the best from Cremona
Edgar
Searching for the right Violin๐ป, Viola๐ป, Cello๐ป or Doublebass๐ป ?
Write me an e-mail: edgar@eruss.it
Or visit my Shop ๐ here: https://violincellomaker.com
Want to build your violin by yourself?
Edgarโs Online Violinmaking Academy
http://edgar-online-violinmaking-acad...
For more exclusive content check out my Patreon page, you will find extra video and content waiting for you:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=34343314
Starting from 3 Euro per month you be a part of the community!
๐ฌ To be always updated when something new is coming sign up here for the NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/2kfVWQA
Get in touch with me:
Facebook: Edgar Russ - Distinguished Violinmaking https://bit.ly/2lQjBHt
Instagram: @edgarrussviolinmaker
Special thanks to my Patrons:
Jaan Ader, Vincent Colletti, Thomas Trempel, Eddy Verheggen, Steve Davison, Vernon Miller, Thomas Gagnon, David Hofmann, Jonathan Sun, Joe Shirley, Charalampos Dafermos, Robert Kierzkowski, Jon, Terry Vaughn, Rachel Landau, Tobias Radmer, Kenneth Webb, Marcelo Marpegan, C. D., Tales Lobosco, Dave Tuel, Andy Renshaw, Richard McCarthy, Doug Roth, Gerard Mc Donnell, Nikolai Buergin ๐ป๐คฉ
14 Comments
QUOTE
The Taylor Pallet guitar was originally conceived in 1995 as a way of proving to the guitar world that the quality of wood is not the only factor in building great guitars, Bob wanted to prove that the quality of the luthier was just as, if not more important than the quality of the wood by building a guitar entirely out of Pallet wood. This was a complete shock to the acoustic guitar world and the outcome far exceeded the expectations of everyone. It was in fact a revelation that a guitar made out of Oak Pallet wood back and sides with a 6 piece top of non-descript Pallet soft wood could sound so good and play so well, it was actually a very striking looking guitar with some very distinct features. The Forklift inlay was designed by Larry Breedlove and made out of Formica and Pearl, they also went as far as placing aluminium dots where the nail marks were in the wood to resemble the head of a nail which is a great touch that helps set this guitar apart from anything else that has been on the market.
You know this and I wish you would be honest
I am not a violinist , so why am I so influenced by them is something I can not explain .
When I went to Israel we had very cool people as guides . When we learned that " Stone Masons " believe that the stones they have worked on are now considered alive .
This was an amazing thing to learn, for the people of Israel we spoke to around us were surprised we did not know before we came to the Holy Land .
My understanding now being a bit older is ; stone and wood are Gods gift to us . We create with both of these gifts and they allow us to let our presence be seen , played and thus heard . This is why I feel these gifts are Divine by how much they pull out of ourselves , while inspiring others .
This maybe a long way to say I feel it is the makers who make a better instrument . The players show how to make it grow .
An Example for me is this ,
If I may ; I watched Itzhak Perlman play the "The theme from Schindler's list " so beautifully , and never looked at his finger board once .
I ordered my fretless bass the next day .
This was the start of my own journey .
Thank you for a place to say this , for I feel what you makers/creators are amazing Souls.
Clayton
What Makes a Great Violin: The Wood or the Maker?
Edgar Russ Distinguished Violinmaker
6,075 views
What makes a great violin: exceptional wood, or the experience of the violin maker who knows how to use it?
In violin making, we spend a lot of time talking about materials. Spruce, maple, density, grain, figure, age and quality of the wood all matter. But after more than 40 years of making violins in Cremona, I have learned that even the finest tonewood cannot make a great instrument by itself.
In this video, I want to explore the relationship between **material and experience**.
How important is the quality of violin wood? Can an experienced violin maker achieve an exceptional result with a less extraordinary piece of material? And what happens when beautiful, expensive tonewood is placed in the hands of someone who does not yet have the experience to understand it?
Choosing the right spruce and maple is certainly part of violin making, but understanding the material is something completely different. Every piece of wood has its own characteristics, and the maker has to make decisions throughout the entire process: arching, thicknesses, weight, stiffness and many other small details that ultimately influence the response and sound of the finished violin.
This is where experience becomes so important.
From our violin making workshop in Cremona, Italy, I share my thoughts on **tonewood selection, violin construction, craftsmanship and the experience behind a great sounding violin**.
So, if you had to choose between extraordinary material and an extraordinary makerโฆ which one would you choose?
Let me know your opinion in the comments.
#ViolinMaking #ViolinMaker #Cremona
Meanwhile all the best from Cremona
Edgar
Searching for the right Violin๐ป, Viola๐ป, Cello๐ป or Doublebass๐ป ?
Write me an e-mail: edgar@eruss.it
Or visit my Shop ๐ here: https://violincellomaker.com
Want to build your violin by yourself?
Edgarโs Online Violinmaking Academy
http://edgar-online-violinmaking-acad...
For more exclusive content check out my Patreon page, you will find extra video and content waiting for you:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=34343314
Starting from 3 Euro per month you be a part of the community!
๐ฌ To be always updated when something new is coming sign up here for the NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/2kfVWQA
Get in touch with me:
Facebook: Edgar Russ - Distinguished Violinmaking https://bit.ly/2lQjBHt
Instagram: @edgarrussviolinmaker
Special thanks to my Patrons:
Jaan Ader, Vincent Colletti, Thomas Trempel, Eddy Verheggen, Steve Davison, Vernon Miller, Thomas Gagnon, David Hofmann, Jonathan Sun, Joe Shirley, Charalampos Dafermos, Robert Kierzkowski, Jon, Terry Vaughn, Rachel Landau, Tobias Radmer, Kenneth Webb, Marcelo Marpegan, C. D., Tales Lobosco, Dave Tuel, Andy Renshaw, Richard McCarthy, Doug Roth, Gerard Mc Donnell, Nikolai Buergin ๐ป๐คฉ