Once the model of the instrument I intend to build has been chosen (Il Cremonese) I begin by assembling the corner blocks, formerly made of willow or poplar, here made of spruce. To do this I used a special tool (the mould): the mould has recesses on the tips of the C-bouts both in the … Continue reading Planning the making of a Stradivari Cremonese violin: the first steps
Category Archives: Processing steps
The copy of this violin I am building was made by the author in 1716, in its most flourishing period. The board is made from Paneveggio spruce, while the back, the neck and the sides are made from field maple wood. This variety, unlike the sycamore maple grows at low altitudes, for example along the … Continue reading Manufacturing a copy of Stradivari’s Cremonese violin from field maple
The work has been demanding, there have been various phases that have led me to the completion of the board: from the roughing process with a gouge and a planer to the most delicate phases like cutting the f-holes with a knife, up to the insertion of the purfling. After the time necessary for the … Continue reading Finishing the soundboard for the Montagnana cello
The soundboard is the part of the instrument that amplifies the sound produced by the vibrations of the bow on the strings, a very important part for the sound quality of an instrument. The soundboard is made of spruce, a very common species, but spruce wood suitable to be transformed into resonant wood can only … Continue reading The making of a cello: the soundboard
Once the time necessary for gluing the linings has elapsed, the various clamps are loosened and the process goes on by levelling the part of the ribs that will be glued to the back with a pad and sandpaper. The back, usually made from the same wood of the ribs, can be peeled or radial … Continue reading The making of a cello: preparing the back and the ribs