Bass bar crack violins

I brought this up quite a while ago, and a couple of readers suggested just glue it, it might hold. Unfortunately, i have had the displeasure of seeing a bass bar on a double bass that had. Chalk is spread under the bass bar, and then the bar is pressed into place, removed, and inspected for even chalk on the bar. Repairing an instrument with a sound post crack triangle. A lower bout seam opening is being glued and clamped. A more serious issue is cracking along the bass bar, which requires a full bass bar replacement. Zaret has developed a new design for the bass bar which allows precise and effective adjustment to achieve the most desirable qualities of sound in all instruments. My violin back plate comparison with two gennaro violins bw and two amati ii violins color. I have the top off the violin, and the crack runs next to the edge of the bass bar about 4 inches starting at the saddle. Sound post cracks or bass bar cracks usually need to have the top removed and patched. The second way, which we will explore in this article, is a quick fix.

Quite regularly, a concerned player comes to the workshop with a buzzing instrument, that they just. New 5pcs violin bass bar clamps bassbar tool,violin viola. Piedmont violins vintage and custom made instruments. On this repair cleets are shown over a center crack on a violin top. Occasionally these types of cracks can be glued from the outside but most likely you will need to. In a string instrument, the bass bar is a brace running from the foot of the neck to a position under the bridge, which bears much of the tension of the strings. James koehler violins llc is a repair and restoration shop servicing naples, fort myers, cape coral, punta gorda and port charlotte, florida. Saddle cracks are normally caused because the ebony saddle has been fit too tight. Finishing the thickness and making the bass bar for a guarneri del gesu il cannone model. Here is a viola where the top was cracked into two pieces, there was also a small crack from the f hole up near the bass bar.

Added a missing button, supported a bass bar crack, removed, regraduated and reinstalled the bass bar, did some. In order to do this you will need paper towels and masking tape. The role and romance of the bass bar strings magazine. I was wondering, why a modern italian violin with a somewhat big. Photos journey of setting the bass bar fiona with a fitted bass bar.

Bass bar crack repair the fingerboard maestronet forums. Major repairs including plate removal for crack support, fitting bass bar and all internal adjustments cosmetic repairs including missing corners and retouching we treat all instruments with respect and enjoy working to achieve the best result with patience and the best materials. If so, someone has varnished over the dirt possibly when the decoupage was applied and it has a very very badly repaired bass bar crack. This is a type of crack that runs along the side of the bass bar and the top of the inside top of the instrument. Violin top crack repair fixing a short crack on a violin top. Where its not even, the chalk and a little wood is removed until the bar.

Lorraine did a great job repairing a crack along the bass bar of my cello which required hours of meticulous work, especially over the varnish. Under the treble foot of the bridge, the soundpost supports the top, transferring the weight to the back. A repair to a bass bar crack has been carried out in the workshop, and the whole instrument has been thoroughly reworked to bring it to optimum playing condition. Bass violin is the modern term for various 16th and 17thcentury bass instruments of the violin i. I prefer to preheat the bass bar and top plate to about 100 degrees f. The plexiglass brackets hold the bass bar in position while checking the fit. The usual repair consists of removing the old bass bar, gluing the crack, fitting a new bass bar, cleating the crack, fitting t. The bass bar is a piece of wood on the underside of the faceplate or belly of stringed instruments such as violins, violas or cellos it runs along the bass string of the instrument down to. Andrews fine violins offers a wide variety of bow repair and restoration thanks to the great cooperation with bow maker michael davanzo. James koehler violins was formed upon the retirement of violin maker, william fleischer, owner of the violin shop florida. This instrument was the predecessor of the modernday cello. Its somewhat difficult to give prices without seeing the instrument. Under the other foot, the bass bar carries the weight, distributing it along the length of the. Effect of bass bar tension on modal parameters of a violins.

Tagged animal glue bass bar crack spruce top violin wood wood glue. These type of cracks are fairly easy if you take the top of the instrument off, but fixing it just from the outside is somewhat of a challenge, plus it saves the customer some money. Bass bar crack repair the pegbox maestronet forums. A bass violin, also known as a violone, is a large, stringed instrument played with a bow. One day, from curiosity i mapped out how a normal bar, which has a sweeping, scooped look on the contoured violin top, would look if it were on a flat top rather than an arched one, by mapping the heights on a flat line, and was i surprised.

Bass bar, an oblong piece of wood, fixed lengthwise inside the belly of the various instruments belonging to the violintribe, running in the same direction with the strings, below the lowest string, and acting as a beam or girder to strengthen the belly against the pressure of the left foot of the bridge, as the soundpost does against that. The bass bar is a reinforcing strut which is fixed inside the front of the violin and lies under the line of the g string. At the lower end of the bass bar toward the end pin mark this measurement plus 0. In the case of my fiddle, the crack was next to the bass bar, and one side was higher than the other. Serenata strings has performed at many wellknown establishments throughout texas and the dallasfort worth metroplex, please select. It was caused by some sort of fall or shock to the instrument. Fiber is black, pear wood is somewhat reddish, and maple is white or stained. This required arching correction for the top of my violin, to smooth out those bumps caused by the uneven buckling across the top of the violin. A few years ago, a cello i made suffered a drop that resulted in both a soundpost and a bassbar crack. What is the proper method of bass bar crack repair. It must have taken quite an impact because the chinrest was cracked in half and the.

The violins of this maker and his father are properly very highly esteemed. The owner of this cello wanted it repaired, even if it cost more than it was worth. There should be a very small space on both sides of the saddle so that when the top contracts or the saddle expands. The instrument is in nice shape except for this bass. Those two factors would knock the price right down, even if it is by a genuine maker. If you have a crack in a violin, you cant necessarily just glue it shut. My clients are not well off, and dont play the violin, although her brother might want to learn. Then, remove the top and the bar and fit another bar parallel with the center line. Every string instrument has a bass bar, the wood piece inside that enhances the quality of sound and impacts the volume.

Pegbox cracks varies according to severity and number of peg holes needing bushing. Hidden inside the top, the bass bar is one of the elegantly sculpted parts of the violin. Finally finished fixing the cracks and setting cleats, bass bar, and. Remote services may be available for out of state customers, contact us for details.

There should be a very small space on both sides of the saddle so that when the top contracts or the saddle expands slightly there is a little extra room. Emmett 2011 stradivari cessol model, with a vibrant goldenorange varnish. When perfectly fitted, the bar is glued into place with violin making glue, usually perpendicular to the predominant contact surface as the curvature changes throughout the length of the bass bar. These type of cracks are fairly easy if you take the top of the instrument off, but fixing it just from the outside is somewhat of a challenge, plus it. Your source for stringed instrument repair in the st. The new bar should have exactly the same length, width, height, profile, stiffness, grain width, etc. Bass bar cracks can distort the shape of the instruments top because of the strain of the bass bar. At the ends it is often a either a dryness crack, like a saddle crack, extending upward, or due. If you need to get in touch with me, please call 626 7952870 and leave a message on my machine. Sound post cracks used to be much more common because case technology was not very good. Bluett bros violins in york, pa offers repair services for violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, mandolin, mandola, mandocello, banjo, bouzouki, and more.

Learn how violinmakers place the bass bar on fine violins, violas and cellos in. Bassbar cracks usually start at either the ends or the middle duh, but for different reasons. His work is certainly very artistic and they stand far above any modern german makers. The bass bars i fit and shape are significantly more robust than those found in violins from the baroque period and earlier. Louisarea violin repairs, as well as viola, cello, and upright bass repairs by top notch violins. Unlabeled new violin with bass bar crack for repair reverb. Im also well aware, and have done, the standard repair for a bass bar crack.

The bass bar is meant to prevent these by supporting the top plate and retaining its natural shape as it flexes. Now draw a line between these two new points i pencil in a line using a flexible metal ruler as a guide. Unlabeled new handcrafted workshop violin with bass bar crack for repairinstrument arrived from the workshop damaged. At the upper end of the bass bar toward the neck, mark this measurement minus 0. For violins, violas, and cellos it is important to prepare the instrument for shipping by packing the bridge. This is a crack that runs along the length of the bassbar on the top of the instrument. Bows violin bows violin repairs basses cellos glendale hollywood pasadena rehair repairs violas. Why diy wont do when your violin suffers a major malfunction. Bass bar cracks can distort the shape of the instruments top because of the strain of the bass bar occasionally these types of cracks can be glued from the. Experimental modal analysis on a violin with three different tensions of a bass bar is performed. Several of our owners are master craftsmen who work in our workshop repairing violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Oct 14, 2014 the bass bar is a piece of wood on the underside of the faceplate or belly of stringed instruments such as violins, violas or cellos it runs along the bass string of the instrument down to the bass end of the bridge, counterbalancing the pressure of the sound post under the treble end of the bridge, reinforcing the top plate and allowing extra string pressure. Fiber is black, pear wood is somewhat reddish, and maple is white or stained black.

Qbcs fully handmade extension, topquality ebony body, crackresistant composite levers, elegant, precise, ergonomic and by far the best price for its superior quality. Bass bar occasionally an instrument will need a new bass bar, sometimes to improve the sound and sometimes due to damage, a crack running along side the bar, or sinking of the front. A new bass bar and a series of cleets over cracks have been added to this repair. Jun 28, 2016 under the treble foot of the bridge, the soundpost supports the top, transferring the weight to the back. It strengthens the front plate and helps transmit low frequency vibrations from the string to the body of the instrument. In addition to making hand crafted instruments, hershey violins performs all major and minor. The best way to prevent sound post cracks in violins and violas is a good suspension case is a great idea. Violin and viola same 3 pieces, cello 7 pieces, bass 10 pieces. Body crack repair varies as it depends on severity, where it is located and what needs to happen for effective repair. The bass bar tension is the only intentionally introduced modification of the instrument.

Occasionally these types of cracks can be glued from the outside but most likely you will need to remove the top. When an instruments top is no longer has the correct arch then. The proper way would be to remove the entire top by separating it from its ribs, apply animal glue to the crack joint, and secure the crack further from opening in the future by means of studs or cleats beneath the crack. I recognize that a bass bar crack is a serious crack, and will devalue an instrument. Remote services may be available for out of state customers. The instrument is in nice shape except for this bass bar crack. Under the other foot, the bass bar carries the weight, distributing it along the length of the top. It is the only way to glue a common fhole crack in violin and viola plates in an easy and clean way. As shown in the photos above, we have an example of a crack that runs about 2 inches above the left fhole of a viola. With quite a few cracks the bassbar crack and the line underneath the. Michael is also a cellist at the phoenix symphony and he completed his masters at the julliard school. A new bass bar needs to be carefully considered, usually a new bar will improve the sound of the instrument but when done it may take some time to play in. Cello bass bar crack repair wallace violins wallace.

Pegbox cracks varies according to severity and number of peg holes needing. It strengthens the front plate and helps transmit low frequency vibrations from the string to. One day, from curiosity i mapped out how a normal bar, which has a. Jun 17, 2014 photos journey of setting the bass bar fiona with a fitted bass bar. The fhole crack differs in this violin in that does not run all the way. Here is a viola that had multiple cracks in the same area.