Stradivarius and Guarnerius Violins: The Secrets of the Spruce / The Art, The Myths and The Legends.
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- čas přidán 9. 03. 2023
- Discover Stradivarius and Guarnerius and the secrets of how they carved the bellies of their instruments.
Special thanks to Brian Cool, who keeps putting up with my schedule, donating his time, and making these videos possible.
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Love this series. I'm looking forward to more.
This is absolutely mind blowing, first ever I ever heard.
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you! Art , Science, Magic, passion, maybe even obsession and something beautiful is brought into the world.
Thank you for sharing your expertise, insights, and knowledge about these instruments of the Masters. We can only truly love what we truly understand, and your videos help deepen that love and admiration for all the Luthiers that have dedicated their lives to making the best instruments possible so we might experience the great music of the past, present, and future in its full glory.
Masterful presentation! I so enjoy watching and learning from your series! Both entertaining and Educational! "But wait...there's more"! I love it! Thank You so much!
Thanks for the information. You present it so nicely.
Very Instructive, Bravo !
Well done, sir. Appreciate the thoughtfulness of the content snd presentation.
there is an element of great magic in the truely great violins; I play a old German reproduction of "the Baltic." It is a good instrument.
This was quirky, but very informative.
The graduation of the top plate over the light was incredible
I work on acoustic guitars.
I never saw the use of a light to see the variation of the thickness.
What a great tool.
"But wait...there's more"
one other test that even trumps the light-check is to tap the outside and the inside.
they will sound different and by removing material the tone will change and this will be done until the outside sounds the same as the outside. (hence different thickness in different areas)
I enjoyed that a lot!
Thank you for the poetic insights!
One quote from a person who worked in the Cremona shops, given to us in the Hill's books, is "The secret is not the varnish - it is something like a varnish yet not the varnish"
He no doubt would not violate the guild laws of secrecy, or those of his master - yet -
this fits in very well with recent chemical analysis that shows, or seems to show, that because of a plague of Woodworm, tiny black flying beatles, bugs that drill into the woods and lay eggs that become worms - Years ago I restored one old violin that had fallen to pieces but the superb wood flames were worth the effort to put it back together.
when it came time to assemble parts of the edges just crumbled away, having been hollowed out from within. This one was from Arizona, where 'Mesquite beetles' do this, yet because of global heating they are now a problem even here in Minnesota.
Amati and Stradivari used minerals such as alum, borax, other salts, to preserve the wood. this 'pressure treated', or cooking made the wood more dense, and so could be carved very thin -
AND not crack or fall to pieces as many later copies did.
Fascinating, especially about the thickness part.
Everything about violin making has always been "fascinating" to me. :)
@@kevinleeluthier I put a clip of myself, hand blown glass artist Venezia style learned as an elective in college many years ago. Many parallels to the violin shops though completely different. I first saw at age of 15, glass factory wow. I'm jealous I wish I could play the fiddle!
@@MckayStradivarius Never too late! Also, even though I mention blowing glass in the novel "Two Trees," I'm still learning = it's never too late for me also. :)
Yes, I myself have seen very easy mistakes in the way violins are made today.
Very often even the direction of the woods inside the instrument is not correct. Craftsmanship is more than just handling the tools, craftsmanship is the knowledge of the workpiece itself.
❤
First!! I was really looking forward for this part of the series. So much mystery around the wood and how these geniuses made them into masterpieces.
Second
Congratulations🎻🏆
The deeper I go and the longer I make violins, the more amazed I am with the old masters. I am so grateful for them. Thanks for you comment!
Genius they were not, but definitely master craftsmen.
Yes, the light method is just one more tool….but the pitch by tapping at a few key places can be a measure of stiffness which is of MAJOR importance.
I choose all my wood based on density…providing other aspects are ok….easy to work out density.
Varying thickness throughout the top plate..and back are very important.A correctly carved ,placed bass bar is very important.
The choice of arching will dictate how other aspects should be done.
We don’t hear it too often, but not all strads sound great…some are a little ordinary…but still useful instruments.
Today, the best makers are creating instruments that are as good…top playes appreciate this.
Hi Kevin .
Very interesting and entertaining. Well done.
" but the rabbithole goes much deeper..." 😆😍
Yes, it really does, and I have taken the "red pill." :)
I only just have a P.O.S. Chinese made fiddle, but watching this channel helps me to appreciate what it DOES have.
I find that it is not so bad after all, cheap as it was.
Incidentally, the quality of that fiddle is still better than my ability to play it, but I am getting better (at a geologic pace).
That light jig for belly carving is a brilliant idea! Well done, Sir!
I really like what you did with your F-holes. That is very pretty.
Some Chinese fiddles aren't so bad if you scoop the fingerboard and give them a new soundpost, bridge, strings. I wish that I could convince them how important the "set up" really is (and using cured wood).
I just started practicing seriously this past week and in another week I will be putting out the second installment of Paganini's How to Play Unbelievably Fast (the first one should be posted this afternoon), and I think you'll be amazed at how quickly anyone's quality of tone will improve.
I love the Florentine sound openings also!
Thanks for watching!
These videos are outstanding works of art IMO. Kevin has the gift...I need those books! Would be great to hear more about Jacques Francais. Thankyou:-)
Thank you so much! I don't enjoy "tooting my own horn" yet over 15,000 people have agreed that the books really are "wonderful,."
I will say more about Jacques Francais in the future. He is the one who truly opened my eyes to the art of master violins.
@@kevinleeluthier wow! looking forward to that 😊
I use your guidance in rebuilding old poorly carved violins. I have made very nice violins from violins whse back and top plates were carved thick and still had the chisel marks.
You have not mentioned the cell structure of an organic plant which gives it a thousand beautiful natural chosen drum
If you hold it up to the light and look at the glow you can see the density of the wood lol I commented too soon 😅
I had once 'The Baltic' in my hands.
Have you ever made a violin out of a piece of what you regarded as sub-optimal wood and it turned out to sound fantastic?
I have made violins out of less flamed, and unorthodox flamed maple. Also spruce that had varying grain, bird's eye and bear claw, etc., especially for "unique" customers, and as long as the wood was fully cured, and yes, they turned out "fantastic."
Almost all of the violins mentioned in my books were made out of technically "sub-optimal" wood, yet you could say that they were the very highest quality "sentimentally." :) If all goes well, I'll be making another one of these types of instruments about the beginning of the year.
carve the instrument. from the same tree. glue it up letting it dry out after glueing it up. watch what happens. i've played bass off and on for 40 years.
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎻👍
Im totally SURE than our Kevin have creations of same level than both bosses of Cremona !! STRAD /GdJ ARE ARCHETYPAL INSTRUMENTS but Kevin and all greatest modern Luthiers have all datas for build perfec violin... for price of a good car !!! No need Strad at Millions. Place of them is in museums . They are humanity heritage
Thank you for your vote of confidence. :)
@@kevinleeluthier im personnaly sure than superiority of strads are only in mind of owners. i have confidence in great modern Luthiers like you. .i hear a lot of instruments..and Strads or Garneri gold strad was totally simillar with moderns. and A < 2000 $ Kaiming Guan positioned just under better BUT SUPERIOR than 3 circa 1680/1700 Strads and better than one dozen of modern instruments sells between 7500 and 25000 $
These are sooo informative but I get the impression he still lives with his mother 😂
I may be getting old but (at least for now) not old enough to be in the care facility with my mother. (She's 91) I moved away from home when I was 17 (as mentioned in "The Book of Honor," and I have been happily married for over 43 years to one of the angels mentioned in "Clay Angel". My "quirks" probably come from living in museums and spending so much time making violins, violas and cellos. = I'll try to get out more. Thanks for watching and commenting!
😊❤😂 thats Fabulous!!!
but wait, there's more...... :)
Pretentious? moi?
I would imagine that the worst thing to happen to the violin was the introduction of metal strings.
Not the worst thing. :) Almost all E strings are metal now days, and steel strings are good for that "twang" sound that really cuts through when fiddling at hoedowns.
People value them because of the hype. In reality a well made violin today will sound as good if using high quality materials, fine craftsmanship and proper techniques. Almost all of these old violins have had cracks repaired and necks changed not to mention varnish touch ups and even totally refinished. The only real advantage they might have in their sound might be due to the age of the wood which for sure over time has had an effect on their voice as well as having been played and broken in for hundreds of years.
"Any well made violin..."
Your criterium for a good violin seems to be quit low. In your descrition only quality materials and good techniques guarantee a good violin
In that, my friend, I think you're sorely mistaken.
As you might suspect, this topic is dear to my heart.
Yes, there is "added value" because of the "hype" of old master instruments, yet there has always been a good reason for the hype. The question to ask truly is, "Should original and historical works of art painted by the masters: da Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh be worth more than someone else painting the same thing today?"
If "well made" means learning and using the secrets of the old masters and making new, original (both visual and acoustical) works of art, yes. We agree. That's what I do, and this has not been disputed by any major dealer or recognized connoisseur in the world for over 20 years.
Yes, almost all of the old master violins have had cracks, various repairs and their necks and bass bars replaced for better projection in large concert halls. Yet isn't it amazing just how wonderful most of them still are? The "dirty little secret" is that many of them were much better than they are now, because age has not been their friend, and yet, there are still others that were not total successes at the beginning and later had their voices opened up and made pure "by re-graduating them" and then finding the perfect adjustments, and it was done "because" they were so valuable. :)
And to finish: Yes, playing upon and truly loving a master violin does make it better.
@@kevinleeluthier very well argued Kevin. A balanced, logical and convincing explanation of why the masters are considered as such.
Great Encore! So when one goes to buy an instrument for the average violinist, do we go with a micrometer, or only pic violins with certain pronounced grains...or maybe travel with a very powerful light to see if we can see through the top??? And what consideration is the back of the instrument in tone? Additionally, (yes there is more), how does this apply to cellos...(all the same)? And will you ever have autographed books of "Two Trees" available again? Yes...there is more...what is the downside to the modern day planetary pegs, besides being ugly and having no artistic value to the luthier who hand makes all this stuff? All the best Kevin...
"Average student?" Each student should purchase the nicest violin that they, or their parents, can afford = the better the instrument, the easier it is to play, the better it will sound, and the more you/they will love it and progress quickly. As far as grains and thickness, I believe that I have shown that many different master violins with different grains can be wonderful, = as long as it is quality, go for the response and sound you like, and once again, after the instrument is varnished, the light no longer goes through the same, though you do get used to seeing the difference after looking at the wood of the bellies before and after varnishing a few times.
Cellos are the same concept.
Autographed books are available if you purchase them direct at The Romantic School of Music .com website's store: the-romantic-school-of-music.com/RSOM_Store/RSOM_Store.htm
Almost all planetary pegs require damaging the scroll and are quite time consuming and awkward putting on new strings = standard pegs are better in every way IF they are fitted and maintained properly. On the other hand, if you don't maintain your pegs properly, and if it's a cheap instrument, why not? :)
@@kevinleeluthier Thanks so much for the additional input. I have been buying mostly acoustic guitars over the years and have paid attention to the grains effects. They are subtle at best. Bracing is almost more significant. Now after inheriting some classical instruments from my father I am having a hard time assessing what I have. However, the cello was a plywood student model and wasn't worth the time. I am looking to replace that. The offerings are overwhelming and it's hard to travel seeing what the various shops have since they are from every state conceivable. And I am not one to go to Sam Ash for a classical instrument. However, the pictures from the shops are quite tell tale...if I can only get them to tell me the truth about what imported really means! BTW...I do believe I did go to the RSOM website and the link was non-functional for the autographed copy. I'll try it again!!
@@ny10980 It worked yesterday, but not now. I'll try to figure out what's going on. Thanks!
@@ny10980 For some reason, the revised page didn't work on the website. I uploaded the old one, but please realize that you may or may not get a copy "printed in the valley" as the shopping cart states. = probably an autographed amazon.com copy, which are the latest, best revision of the books. Thanks!
Делай все детали по схеме с минимальными допусками. Есть только 2 пути к классной скрипки. 1 всё сделать очень тонко. Есть угрозы поломок. И 2 секреты Страдивари, а их вы не знаете.
Bonjour, quel sont ces deux secrets ?😊
Найдите хотя бы фото хорошего качества внутренней поверхности верхней деки скрипки Страдивари, тогда и поговорим.
@@user-mk4nr9te7p merci je vais essayer d'en trouver une.. mais pour cela il le faut un violon Stradivarius.
Guarnerius non Guarneri plutôt,c’est stradivari qui a édité des étiquettes de son nom en latin !!!!!!
Jofeph Guarnerius fecit Cremone anno 17..
Do you know why you will never make a violin similar to stardivarius????
Because you use wood that has different sound transfer properties.
Stradivari made his violin out of moonwood is such a reference point for you, the rest is discovering how he covered this wood and with what. Good luck.
czcams.com/play/PLrDZqO6HTlNNXDw4PLrPUl0s72bblI_SR.html
Mr. Erwin Thoma has been dealing with this topic for years.
I have never made a copy, yet sadly, many years ago, I made violins so much like Stradivarius that they were re-labelled by an unscrupulous dealer and sold for up to 6 times my original selling price because they had Stradivarius labels in them. Stradivarius used different sub-species of both maple and spruce, and the secret really is knowing what to do with each one.
PS This is one of the reasons why the sound openings and scrolls of my instruments are now "Florentines." So it will never happen again.
In 2003, a small group of researchers working at the ETH in Zurich, one of the most prestigious technical universities in Europe, set themselves the goal of scientifically proving the above thesis. Prof. Ernst Zürcher conducted a research project that initially focused on analyzing the relationship between lunar rhythms and plant development. Beans have been observed to swell more or less in water, and this fact corresponds to the rhythm of the moon. When the moon waxed, the beans absorbed more water, and when it waned, they drank much less. The germination of seeds of various trees and plants began to be studied as a function of the phase of the moon. Germination rate, average sprout height, and plant height have been shown to correlate with the phase of the moon. Further research discovered that the trees pulsed to the rhythm of the tides of the oceans, which were guided by the moon. As the moon rises, the trunks of the trees expand. When the moon wanes, they shrink back. The diameter of the tree trunk grows and shrinks according to the rhythm of the ebb and flow - the difference is only a few hundredths of a millimeter, but nevertheless measurable.
Weathering tests carried out on wood samples and evaluated as part of the research conducted at the ETH Zurich proved the influence of the moon on construction lumber. In the study, the wood was exposed to a large colony of fungi. Prof. Zürcher tested the validity of traditional felling rules and was the first scientist to prove that lunar wood is more durable and weather resistant than conventionally harvested lumber. In addition, the scientist explained why this is so. Prof. Zürcher discovered that water in a tree and water in a glass are two different things. The relationship between water and the vascular cells of the tree, the mechanism of fluid transport in the cellular "honeycomb", capillaries and coils are affected by many factors. For example, water in the thinnest capillaries can take on a gelatinous consistency and remain liquid down to temperatures of -15°C.
Moonwood harvested on a waning moon has more water molecules. This means it shrinks more during the drying process and therefore shrinks only minimally afterwards. This makes the wood more dense, more resistant to compression, more resistant to fungi and insects, and of high class of fire resistance. Lunar wood is 5-7% denser - and density affects physical and mechanical parameters - than ordinary wood, which has been tested on several thousand samples. From a technical point of view, these parameters represent a significant improvement over conventionally harvested wood.
Their REAL secret is luck, yes luck. Luck of being the exact combination of that specific ovule and that specific sperm that gave them birth... So it makes as all very lucky of it as well 😉
What an obnoxious character LOL
non sense. you carve the wood for the sound. thats it.
My goodness..Stradivarius used the same technology..gee..I love being insulted by snakeoil salesmen....yer schtick is a bit off putting..you eat a lot of vegetables? The divits and valleys are in your patronizing presentation.