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How to make a violin: in pictures
Turning a violin from a humble block of wood into the perfectly balanced instrument we are all so familiar with takes a superb craftsman. Sit back and admire their exquisite work.
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1. The beginning: a choice of woods
The different woods are chosen for what will eventually become a violin. Violin maker Antoni Ruschil, from London tells us: "The tonewood I choose for each instrument has to be of the very highest quality... There are many important factors to consider in the process including the age of the wood, cut, grain line, density, moisture content, reflection, resonance, speed of sound as well as the natural beauty of the piece." Picture: Antoni Ruschil
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2. Making precise measurements
The measurements are made, taking inspiration from past masters. Antoni Ruschil adds: "These guys were clever and drew on the beautiful principles of geometry, mathematics, physics and aesthetics... So perfect are these designs and ratios that I am still using them 450 years later". Picture: Antoni Ruschil
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3. Tools and preparation
An array of tools in the workshop of master luthier Juan Carlos Soto in San Jose, Costa Rica. Picture: Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images
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4. Gouging - creating the shape
After more precise measurements are made, Shehada Shalalda carves out the piece using a series of gouges in order to give the violin its curved shape, known as the arching. Picture: Abbas Momani /AFP /Getty Images
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5. Precision shaving
After gouging the shape, violin maker Christophe Landon uses a small Chinese hand plane to refine the back of the arching. Picture: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
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6. F-holes - sound and beauty
Serbian violin maker Jovan Popovic measures the distance between the f-holes. These holes are an elaborate and essential feature of the instrument, allowing the sound to project more efficiently. Picture: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic
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7. F-holes - precision cutting
Mathias Menanteau, a French violin maker in Rome, cuts the f-holes using a sharp knife. The precision of this process requires a steady hand. Picture: Gabriel Bouys /AFP /Getty Images
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8. Inspection
Mathias Menanteau inspects the symmetry of the f-holes, an essential aspect of sound projection. Picture: Gabriel Bouys /AFP /Getty Images
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9. Purfling precision
The decorative lined edges are known as 'purfling'. They are in fact 0.3mm thin strips of stained maple and pearwood, inlaid into the body of the violin. German Violin maker Stefan-Peter Greiner adds this precision detail to the edges around the ribs. Picture: DPA/ Press Association Images
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10. Measuring thickness
Colombian luthier Fredy Montoya measures the thickness of the instrument. Picture: Raul Arboleda /AFP /Getty Images)
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11. Carving the scroll
The scroll is the decoratively carved end piece to the neck of the instrument. Its shape approximates that of a logarithmic spiral, and is an indication of a luthier's skill and craftsmanship. Violin maker Christophe Landon uses a Japanese saw to create the initial shape. Picture: Stan Honda /AFP /Getty Images
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12. Perfecting the scroll
Mathias Menanteau, a French violin maker, works on a violin scroll in an advanced stage of shaping in his workshop in Rome. Picture: Gabriel Buoys /AFP /Getty Images
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13. Preparing for varnishing
Once everything has been assembled, the violin is ready to be varnished. Here, Violin maker Walther Mahr displays a violin made purely from spruce, ready for varnishing. Traditionally made from both spruce and maple, these all-spruce versions are supposed produce an even better sound. Picture: Daniel Karmann/DPA/Press Association Images
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14. Cooking the varnish - a seven-day process
The varnish is then prepared - a complex process over seven days. Here, Mathias Menanteau, a French violin maker, prepares the varnish in his workshop in Rome. According to some experts, the secret to the wonderful sound of Stradivarius violins, is the varnish the maker used. No-one has managed to recreate the recipe yet… Picture: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
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15. Pre- and post-varnish stages
Antoni Ruschil displays the instrument in the pre- and post-varnishing stages. He uses "resins and oil, refining and cooking the ingredients for a minimum of seven days consistently, finishing with a deep, rich varnish that will not only look beautiful, but will also enhance the sound of the instrument for centuries to come". Picture: Antoni Ruschil
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16. Placing the bridge
Luthier Matthias Vorbrodt puts the bridge on a violin in his workshop in Germany. The bridge is central to the violin’s performance. Antoni Ruschil told us: "Setting it is an exact art, as it must stand equidistant between the sound holes, determining the tension of the string and setting the height from the fingerboard. It's an important job for something that weighs 1.9 grams." Picture: Photo: Alexandra Koerner
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17. Setting up
The process is nearing completion. Shehada Shalalda sets up a violin in his workshop in the West Bank city of Ramallah. This is a precise process, ensuring the instrument is able to produce the best sound it can. Picture: Abbas Momani /AFP /Getty Images
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18. The finished instrument
The instrument is complete and ready to be played. Who knows what it will be worth in 300 years' time?
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19. Stradivarius - The ideal
And this is the ideal. The 'Hammer' Stradivarius, which was sold at auction in 2006 for US$3.54 million. Eighteenth-century Italians Antonio Stradivarius and Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesu' are considered to be the greatest violin makers in history. Their instruments are studied meticulously today, and used as models of the ideal Italian style of violin making. Picture: Stan Honda /AFP /Getty Images
