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To shape the outline of the thin strips of maple called the ribs, a mold is made which is later removed from the structure. The front and back plates must be worked fairly thin to be able to resonate easily, but because they must also support a lot of tension, they are shaped into a very exact arching. The edges of the thin plates are then reinforced by the inlaying of the purfling which also serves the purpose of adding visual style. Once the outside arching of the plates has been shaped, the hollowing of the inside can begin. The graduation of the plates to the proper thickness along with the cutting of the sound holes and fitting and gluing the basebar are really the most difficult aspects of violin making. The carving of a scroll on the end of the neck of a stringed instrument has a long tradition and probably has symbolic archetypal significance. After the finished instrument has been coated in a glorious veil of tinted varnish, it can be adjusted tonally by means of the sound post and other aspects of the final fitting up.    See the interactive construction demo |
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