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Finer Things
The Violin
By Jara Anton
The construction of a violin can affect the sound that it makes, and different brands produce different resonations. The most expensive violin was crafted by Antonio Stradavari. His "The Lady Tennant" was the first violin owned by violin phenom Charles Philippe Lafont.
The Italian artist crafted his masterpieces in Cremona, Italy. It wasn't long before he was garnering the praise and admiration of dukes and queens. His instruments currently sell for millions of dollars. Over his lifetime, Antonio Stradavari produced 1,100 violins that were recorded. Only 650 exist today.
In 2005, Stradavari's "Lady Tennant" sold for more than two million dollars! In 2006 Strad's "The Hammer" brought in a staggering $3.54 million.
These stringed instruments are famous for the quality of their sound. The only things they know for sure about Stradavari's crafting techniques is that he used spruce for the harmonic top, willow for the insides and maple for the back, strip and neck. He coated this wood with many types of minerals like borax, sodium and potassium silicate and a varnish made of Arabic gum, honey and egg whites.
The crafting of violins today typically start out with blocks of wood, like spruce, poplar and/or willow. They are placed in violin molds which are made out of solid walnut wood. Next, the ribs for the "C bouts" are bent to shape and size using a special iron. The C bouts are attached with glue to the mold and then clamped into place. When the C bouts are in place, the remaining ribbing is attached to the blocks.
A thin wooden lining is placed inside the ribbing to hold the violin. The top and back are made out of one piece of wood in the more expensive brands. Two pieces of wood are glued together.
The wood is arched or carved into the correct shape. A channel is cut along the perimeter of the top of the violin so the "purfling" can be placed. The "purfling" is the decorative, ornamental border that wraps the violin. It is placed into the channel and more arching is done to smooth and shape the top and bottom of the violin. Now a bass bar is added to the underside of the violin. The body of the violin is complete.
It is now time for the scroll to be carefully sized. The scroll is carved into the ideal shape. Next, the fingerboard is crafted. Violin fingerboards are made of ebony, so the next step is to carefully shave them to fit. Once the pieces are finished, the instrument is glued together. Clamps hold all of the custom pieces together until the glue dries completely.
Besides having the instrument stringed, you must varnish it. Much debate goes into the best way to varnish your violin. People have been trying to re-create the Stradavari's "lost secret varnish recipe" with little luck. Scientists have found that the naked wood of the violin must be exposed to the air and sun for a period of several days to weeks to extract the whiteness of the fresh wood. There is a primer coat that is responsible for strengthening the wood. It is this coating that is the subject of so much mystery. Electron microscopes have revealed a thick layer of mineral ground between those coats of varnish.
Though the secrets of Stradavari have been debated, we may never know how he crafted such heavenly instruments. Perhaps he was insuring that his name would be the apex of violins.