Violin Maintenance Repairs Complete!
A couple of weeks ago, I had dropped my beloved Baroque violin back to the luthier to do the small repairs and modifications that had been agreed upon when I first bought the instrument from the owner. It was due to go in during March... but as we all know, something of global significance happened during that time! So, all non-essential travel was being advised against... and so I ended up cancelling the appointment as it was sort of non-essential! Besides, if I dropped off the violin, I would need to pick it up in a few days to a week and at that time, we didn't even know if that would be at all possible!
However, I did drop it off last week... and I was hoping to have the instrument back much sooner, but the luthier got caught up with non-repair things (I think family stuff...) and so he wasn't able to complete the job in the time that he thought he had. Oh well, it isn't like I have any pressing concerts coming up at the moment... however, I had ordered some washable face masks from the seamstress that is his shop neighbour and so I had to double check with her if it was okay if I delayed picking them up (and paying for them...) for a week.
(Just as a little aside, the seamstress works mainly in making costumes for theatres... which has also fallen off a cliff, now she makes masks for the bulk her time at the moment... I will show off our new masks in a different post! They are really nice!).
The main replacement job was the pegs.... I was looking for something that suited the violin a bit better. The previous set were nice, but I was looking for a set that would be of the same English Baroque-era style... So, we had to order them from a crafter in Germany... and of course, they took a while to arrive!
That said, they do look quite nice on the violin... thankfully, he didn't need to open up the pegholes (or to shave the pegs too much), so the old set would easily fit back in if there was a peg breaking emergency!
Anyway, the pegs are ebony for most of the figure... but the white highlights are ivory! Now, before you get too incensed about that... most of the ivory used in violin (and bows...) making these days are from mammoth and not living elephants! This is no exception... so, the violin is around 250 years old... but the ivory highlights on the pegs are MUCH MUCH OLDER!
Next on the list of little repairs was the purfling near the place where the violinist's head meets the violin! It isn't a real structural problem... but it is something that looks better when it is properly repaired. The purfling channel is a designed structural to channel any incoming cracks from the outer edge away from the main soundboard of the instrument.... and the little strips of wood in the channel just make it look prettier!
Also, he retouched the varnish in the area as well... it was a bit scruffy from years of use!
The last little thing (which I didn't know he was going to do... but that is why he is a great luthier, it is the little details...) was the filling and smoothing of the edges of the top and bottom boards... over the centuries, they have caught on things and they get really quite rough... and in some cases can splinter if they get caught on fabric. So, a bit of resin I think to fill them and then filing them back to smooth them down!
So, it is nice to be reunited with my latest violin partner... it is still only less than an half year since I found it... so, I'm definitely still in the early love glow of the partnership!
... and as a second little aside, on the way to the luthier, I discovered a comic book store on the way between the luthier's shop and the train station! Of course, I couldn't resist taking a little look into the shop... and I'm glad that I did, I scored some pretty nice compilations for a really great clearance price! I'm really hoping that the store will still be there the next time... anyway, my little treasure find is for a post on a different day!
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A huge hug 🤗 and a little bit of !BEER 🍻 from @amico!
Un caro abbraccio 🤗 e un po' di BEER 🍻 da @amico!
Every time I try to get an instrument repaired they tell me it costs more than what it's actually worth. But I still have to wait weeks just to hear that.
That is strange... what sort of instrument? Is it a hand made one in decent maintence?
Most definitely not. It was a plastic clarinet. The damage only allowed one to play in a single octave
I'm glad you have your violin back.
It is always nice to be reunited with something that you have so much connection with, playing it pretty much every day!
I don't know what the old pegs looked like but those ones look pretty cool XD
How does it feel holding history? :D
The top photo was the before pegs... and the second should be the one with the ivory. To be honest, I really never really think about how old the instrument... but when I do stop to think about it, my mind does boggle a bit!
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