By Ryan Hayes A hole in a rib can be two large pieces connected to the rib, or forty pieces in a plastic bag. Each situation is different, but this article is going to focus on the more complicated situations rather than the simple. Whenever a customer brings a plastic bag containing pieces of their […]
A neck graft is often necessary after a break in the neck, or as frequently occurs in cellos, a break at the neck heel. A neck graft may also be necessary to correct neck measurements, a poorly executed graft, or to modernize a baroque setup. This procedure involves removing any remaining neck pieces from the […]
Rib protectors are commonly found on the upper treble bout rib on violins and cellos. This rib ends up getting more contact with skin because players are touching the rib wile shifting into higher positions. The acidity, natural oils, and sweat wear away the varnish and begin to discolor the wood. Unless you want the […]
Rib Cracks are a common problem on violin family instruments, and cracks running perpendicular to the grain present different challenges than cracks running parallel to the grain. Without the support of parallel grain lines, cracks perpendicular to the grain need more substantial reinforcement. In this article I will go over how to double a rib to […]
As published in the IPCI Book. The following article describes a procedure we use in our shop to repair a broken tongue made of ebony. When this procedure is successfully completed, the grafted tongue will be as strong as the original and the repair will be virtually invisible. This procedure is not appropriate for tongues made of […]
Even though you can buy a fingerboard blank from your supplier, it is not ready to be put on the instrument. A little prep work is involved to get the blank ready. In this article I will cover the method I use for preparing a new fingerboard. MATERIALS AND TOOLS -Fingerboard blank -Block plane with […]
A cheval is a form of wood replacement. Often, due to a bow frog’s small size, an entire section of wood has to be replaced with new wood to reinforce the structure and to supplement missing wood. Traditionally, a cheval is performed by planing away original material and replacing it with new wood. A rounded cheval maximizes the surface area […]
This is a guide to a common adjustment, especially in times when instruments experience higher than average humidity. Excess moisture in the air can cause the spruce top of an instrument to swell, most notably in a transverse direction (perpendicular to the grain). Since the plate is fixed around the edges, it has nowhere to go […]
The nut is a piece of the setup process that many people overlook. However, it is important to get it right. A well made nut allows the strings to flow unimpeded into the pegbox. It affects the feel and playability of the instrument and is one of those details that shows the competency of the […]