www.KitGuitarsForum.com

I have started a second violin. Perhaps it will better fit the description of a Fiddle.
Apparently non-traditional woods are not readily accepted in the "violin world".

So while I let the first violin settle in "in the white" awhile longer I've begun to build #2.

This one is Bradford Pear wood back and ribs from a 30year old tree we had removed about 7 years ago from our yard. The trunk was 7 feet of straight clean 18 inch diameter goodness. 😀
I've used some for turnings and it is solid, dense closed grain with a pleasant tan color and swirly grain.

The top is redwood. At least 50 year old planks pull from a storage tank a few years ago. 5.5" wide x 3/4" thick. The boards were 10' long. I bought about 6 or 8 of them.
Many were near quarter sawn. Beautiful dark wood with some darker grain lines. I've resawn a bunch for three and four piece tops for guitars. I've built 2 thus far and it works out great. Grain lines totally hide glue lines and this actually adds some helpful stiffness to the top.

Anyway I looked at the boards and saw they are perfect size for a violin top. So I have the 2 pieces milled and glued together for the top cut to shape and ready for carving.
The rib structure is built still on the mold and will still need linings installed.

The back plates are joined. This pear wood us not as easy to carve with gouges as maple.

I believe this will produce a beautiful instrument that will hopefully make great violin sounds.

There is a violin maker here in California who recently made a violin from apple wood with a redwood top that sounds amazing so I have high hopes for mine.

I will post some pics of my status thus far tomorrow.
Another adventure.

Wow! You've done a nice job on #1. Enjoy yourself.

Progress pics

Beautiful wood

The top arch is "mostly" carved and the channel for the purfling is now cut in. I hope to install the purfling tomorrow. Then there is a bit more carving and shaping to do before the inside is carved out.

That is super cool.

Kevin Sjostrand wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 1:42 am I have started a second violin. Perhaps it will better fit the description of a Fiddle.
Apparently non-traditional woods are not readily accepted in the "violin world".

<snip>

There is a violin maker here in California who recently made a violin from apple wood with a redwood top that sounds amazing so I have high hopes for mine.

Well, you've already got all the molds and the special tools and jigs. It would be a shame not to put them to use.

To hell with what's accepted and not accepted in the violin world. One thing I've found in my research is that there is a strong contingent of ultra-traditionalists who frown on anything that isn't in lockstep with Stradivari and his crowd. I found this out when I built a kit from Stew-Mac and, since I couldn't play it in right-handed mode, took it apart and converted it into a left-hand violin. It was like I had summoned up Beelzebub. Teacher after teacher turned me down, saying they just don't do left-handed.

I've also heard fine violins made from non-traditional materials and even non-traditional shapes.

I see you're in Visalia, which I pass through once or twice a year. I'll be heading down your way in mid-January, so maybe we can meet up.

Your work is very beautiful Kev.

Thanks Diane.
I'm stalled on this one right now. Will pick it back up after the holidays

This project was on hold over the holidays but got back to it a couple weeks ago.
The corpus is off the mold and about done with the linings installed.

The top and back have most of the outside arching done and the putflings are installed.
The redwood is very "chippy" and with the squirlly grain a bit of a pain to carve. I like the look but I may not use it again...too fussy.
So I'm still working the arching as once the recurve is cut in on the purfling line then it all has to be blended back into the arch.

Then the inside arching will begin.
No more done on the neck at this point.

I'm about ready to get back on the first violin and start the finish process.