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Old Fiddle Repair

 
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:02 am    Post subject: Old Fiddle Repair Reply with quote

Michael,

this is the one I wrote asd asked you about:

http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/11/resurrection-of-a-dead-fiddle/

Some of you may find it entertaining.

Chet
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Dave Chandler
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Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Posts: 691
Location: Mt Mitchell in North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seems rather square in the upper bouts for a strad. Nice restoration, keeps the character of the old fiddle. I like your edge and corner restorations, very good work.
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, I thought it was kind of square-looking, too. I don't know what it is, beyond what you see, there. I don't think one of those cottage industries throwing the label in there says a single thing about the actual shape or quality of the instrument, though probably an expert could tell you what year and in what city it was made. The label means nothing at all. But it is original, so I left it there. Smile
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Mat Roop
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 911
Location: Wyoming Ontario

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 12:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet... Were you tempted to pare down the size of the end and neck blocks?
In the end this turned out to look like a nice & well antiqued violin.... Good work!
Cheers... Mat
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
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Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I absolutely WOULD have "pared them down", had the grain been in the ordinary orientation-- but it runs crossway to the fiddle, so that there is a dense, hard block with the grain running sideways. I would have had to completely disassemble the fiddle to accomplish the change.

I contacted Michael Darnton, and sent photos, and he suggested leaving the blocks alone, and changing out the bass-bar, but keeping the bass-bar short, to allow free plate-movement.
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Mat Roop
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
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Location: Wyoming Ontario

PostPosted: Sat Nov 28, 2015 2:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahh... that makes sense!... Cheers, Mat
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Michael Darnton
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
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Location: Chicago

PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just now tuned in. What a mess! Lots of learning material here, right? I'm glad everyone ended up happy, and it sounds like a successful finish.
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, it was! On all counts...the mess, the learning potential, and the fact that everyone is happy, so it is a successful finish.

I put together all the process photos into a photo-essay, and formatted it into a "book" on shutterfly, so the young lady will get a color picture essay of the start-to-finish resurrection of her fiddle, explained, step-by-step, along with the instrument itself, for her birthday next month.

I have done this sort of thing before, so, it was mostly stuff I had run into before, but the huge blocks and the whacko bass-bar were something new for me. It's all good-- and all over. Smile
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ollieken
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 281
Location: New Brunswick Canada

PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:42 am    Post subject: Reborn Fiddle Reply with quote

Hello Chet Enjoyed seeing your work again .Love to see an
old fiddle reborn like that one .Most would end up in
in the fire box bin . As Michael said a lot of learning
Great job Thank you for posting Ken
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Ken! That is encouraging!
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Someone asked how I make an estimate for repairing an old fiddle like this one. It varies wildly, of course, with the amount of damage in view, versus the probable worth of the instrument after the repairs are completed. Sometimes it really doesn't pay, and we simply have to shake our heads, and say no.

I wrote a response to their question, here (see link), far too long to post on the forum, but perhaps some of you might find it worth reading.
http://www.bluefiddles.com/2016/02/old-fiddle-repair-estimates/
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