The player doesnt want some notes that surge or some notes that practically disappear. A lower bout seam opening is being glued and clamped. The bass bar shapes the waves of vibration inside the violin to produce deeper, more resonant bass. This is a crack that runs along the length of the bassbar on the top of the instrument. In the case of my fiddle, the crack was next to the bass bar, and one side was higher than the other. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Antique violin 1764 j g hellmer violin for restoration 1. Stone, fwiw, i just had my violin redone, and it had a bass bar that was replaced. Dalton potter explains the function of the bass bar in sound production for string instruments. Once again this presents a problem for the violinist to make the tone even enough to make the phrase work. The bass bar is a long brace running vertically down the carved top, transmitting string energy from the bridge. Bassbar cracks usually start at either the ends or the middle duh, but for different reasons. It very easy to use, it will be the best solution for the luthier.
The role and romance of the bass bar strings magazine. Hope they help fill in the blanks from my verbal description. A new bass bar and a series of cleets over cracks have been added to this repair. Just click on article description to see the article or video listed. I brought this up quite a while ago, and a couple of readers suggested just glue it, it. Added a missing button, supported a bass bar crack, removed, regraduated and reinstalled the bass bar. I received the violin about two years ago with the bass bar crack. Unlabeled new violin with bass bar crack for repair reverb. All set up parts, and other components not shown in the photos are required. It is mounted in line with the strings and reaches almost from one end of the violin body to the other. The bass bar is a thin strip of seasoned spruce, mounted in a standing up position under the left side of the top. With a light on the inside and a small mirror, i could tell by looking through the end pin hole and the f hole that about a quarter of the bass bar near the endpin had come unglued. For a job like this, superglue would work best because one, this is a crack that we do not expect a need to open in the future, and two. At the ends it is often a either a dryness crack, like a saddle crack, extending upward, or due to the weakness of the top just adjacent to the bar, which is inherent to the violin design, but can be exacerbated by a thin top, weird, arching, or ill fitting of the bar.
These amazing and versatile clamps allow for crack repairs, wolf tone elimination, and other repairs to be done without removing the instruments top. What was wrong with the old one was that it wasnt quite long or large enough and slightly installed crooked. It was caused by some sort of fall or shock to the instrument. The usual repair consists of removing the old bass bar, gluing the crack, fitting a new bass bar, cleating the crack, fitting t. It caused the bassbar itself to come loose it didnt fit so well in the first place.
I have had the displeasure of seeing a bass bar on a. In contrast, the viol family instruments usually have five to six strings with a fretted fingerboard, are tuned in fourths. Cello crack in top plate the pegbox maestronet forums. But my god, the violin is a whole different beast to learn. Crack repair cheek patch install new endbutton bush peg holes reglue top reset neck neck graft soundpost patch button patch replace corners simple and compound replace edges fit new bass bar bow repairs for violin, viola and cello. First, gevorkian had to put a protective layer of very thin aluminum foil over the top of my violin so that he could use it to make a plaster cast of my violin top. The sounding box of the violin has evolved to produce the best sound and use the most convenient playing shape. Violin making and repairs for the novice by david s. Building the violin, varnish, bow repair and rehair, setup and adjustment, repairs such as top removal, bass bar, edging, crack repair, bushings, neck angle, button graft, fingerboard, french polish, plaster molds, soundpost patches, touch up, shims. But these pressure pointsthe top, along the length of the bass bar and over the soundpost, and the back, where the bottom of the post rests, are designed to be flexible, in order to conduct and amplify the vibrations. Why diy wont do when your violin suffers a major malfunction.
Violin family instruments have four strings each, are tuned in fifths except the double bass, which is tuned in fourths, are not fretted and have four rounded bouts while always having a sound post and bass bar inside. Repair cleat is attached to the needle on the clamp and inserted through the fhole. Bass bar crack repair the pegbox maestronet forums. Im also well aware, and have done, the standard repair for a bass bar crack. Repairing an instrument with a sound post crack triangle. Theres so many things to pay attention to that i dont have to do with my other instruments. Cello bass bar crack repair wallace violins wallace. On this repair cleets are shown over a center crack on a violin top. The bass bar reinforces the strength of the violins top and enriches the tone of the lower notes. On a good violin with the traditional bass bar you tend to have a wolf tone on the b natural or c natural above a 440. Besides the crack, the fiddle needed a chest patch and a new bass bar to fit the corrected shape. Interesting, i see that a jarring impact to the bridge can affect either or both sides of the table, at the bass bar as well as the soundpost area, and of course through to the back via the soundpost well. Of course each bass bar will be slightly different because of different wood but your bass bar should be close to this. The crack appears to have started as a shrinkage crack like a saddle crack, and extends right along the outside edge if the bass bar for about 4 inches.
Violin shops had to retrofit older instrumentswhich, at this point, included pretty much anything made prior to the late18th centurywith new bass bars and, more often than not, neck grafts. The instrument is in nice shape except for this bass bar crack. Bass bar cracks can distort the shape of the instruments top because of the strain of the bass bar occasionally these types of cracks can be glued from the outside but most likely you will need to. As of 3182020 we are accepting repairs by appointment only. Sound post cracks are very common in the long life of a violin family instrument. This required arching correction for the top of my violin, to smooth out those bumps caused by the uneven buckling across the top of the violin. These are articles and instructional videos about acoustically adjusting the bass bar of the violin please note the date created on before the article listing. Human ears are most sensitive to sounds between 1 and 4 khz about two to four octaves above middle c. The bass bar shapes the waves of vibration inside the violin to produce deeper, more resonant bass tones. I recognize that a bass bar crack is a serious crack, and will devalue an instrument.
How to judge if a violin has a good tone peter zaret and. This is a piece of spruce usually inside the instrument, glued to or carved into the top running parallel to the lowest string. But that flexibility makes them vulnerable to a sudden impact, which can result in a crack. Dalton potter, violin make and owner of the potter violin. See more ideas about violin, chicago school and violin makers. These two bass bars have never been fitted to the top plate but worked out of. This is a type of crack that runs along the side of the bass bar and the top of the inside top of the instrument. You will be directed to our third party checkout system.
I understand that the majority of all violins out there at least. This violin is for someone experienced in violin construction and repair. Sound post cracks or bass bar cracks usually need to have the top removed and patched. The soundposts became thicker, and bass bars much more substantial. When repaired properly with a sound post patch, the instrument can continue to be a reliable tool beyond your lifetime and perhaps even improve its tone. Dalton potter, violin make and owner of the potter violin company, discusses the issue of one vs. The waist of the violin is actually a necessary indentation, so that the bow can move freely across the strings without bumping into the body. The increase in weight also meant using a slightly different shape for the bar itselfone that is fuller in the center, before tapering at the ends. Adding a bass bar and a treble post to atdiys copper dragon homemade violin. A cello is devalued if it has a repaired bassbar crack 2040%, a repaired soundpost crack in the top 3050%, a repaired soundpost crack in the back 4075%, although any of the above repairs, or any other repairs, if done properly, will result in the cello not being any weaker in the repaired area than before the damage occurred. Violin making and repairs for the novice notes from the bench by david s. If the instrument suffers an impact in the bridge, it will be comunicated to the bar and to the soundpost, resulting in a bass crack or in a post crack.
To book a time to discuss your repair and receive a quote, please visit the appointments tab on our website, or give us a. Its somewhat difficult to give prices without seeing the instrument. Violin top crack repair fixing a short crack on a violin. This item is sold asdescribed this item is sold asdescribed and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. This is a crack usually caused by trauma when an instrument is hit or falls or is otherwise damaged with force. Is it normal for a violin to have this kind of crack.
A double bass can play down to 41 hz or below, and the violin can play notes with fundamental frequencies well above 2 khz. The violin design tool, three violin seam or crack clamps. Fiber is black, pear wood is somewhat reddish, and maple is white or stained black. I prefer to preheat the bass bar and top plate to about 100 degrees f. I suspected that the bass bar was possibly cracked or unglued. This ensures that the pressure of the clamps is centered on the bar. Sheet music sales from usa 769 scores found for for real all instrumentations piano solo 400 choral satb 375 piano, vocal and guitar 343 guitar notes and tablatures 299 concert band 293 marching band 175 choral 3part 172 jazz ensemble 160 guitar 153 b flat, e flat, c and bass clef instrume. Something i sometimes do when clamping a bass bar is to bevel the top of the bass bar prior to placing the clamps. If you have a crack in a violin, you cant necessarily just glue it shut. Violin and viola same 3 pieces, cello 7 pieces, bass 10 pieces. Unlabeled new violin with bass bar crack for repair. When perfectly fitted, the bar is glued into place with violin making glue, usually perpendicular to the predominant contact surface as the curvature changes throughout the length of the bass bar.
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