Paul Unger's Bass

(newest entries on top: to read from the beginning, start at bottom of page)

 

[July 15, 2010]

Mode Matching

The major hogging is now long done, and I have since spent way too much time tuning the plates and matching the modes. A lot of folks are going to hear this puppy, and I want it to be the best it can. What you're seeing in the photo is mode 2 in the top plate. I call this the "quality" mode, because most of the time I get it right, the instrument has good tonal quality. In bygone days, the bass maker had to tap the plate with his finger to get an idea of how it rang. Easy enough on a violin or viola, but the great size of a bass makes it difficult. Following the Hutchins method, I use a speaker instead of my finger. You can see the circular magnet assembly and the downward-facing speaker basket just behind the center of the plate. By feeding a sine wave into the speaker and holding the cone close to the plate, I can use the pulses of air to "tap" the plate as many times per second as I like. Depending on where I hold the speaker over the plate, and how often it vibrates each second, different mode patterns will form. The mode 2 pattern on the lower bout (to the right) is excellent. The mirror pattern on the top (left) is also quite good, but the photo doesn't show it. The speaker moves so much air that it pushes around the aluminum glitter (the black stuff) and distorts the pattern. The tuning of both the top and back plates is now essentially done, and shortly I will clean them up to make them ready for the next step. Time to date: 303.5 hours.

 

[May 10, 2010]

That Hollow Feeling!

Both plates have been removed from the mold and are completely gouged out. I've switched to finger planes for more control. You can clearly see the lower eyes of the f-holes in the top: the upper eyes will appear shortly as more wood is removed. Now the final graduations have begun, and the plates are light enough to be picked up between the fingertips of one hand. I've had to hold off on photos for several weeks because the camera can't really show much when I plane out half a millimeter overall. This part of the process is both slow and boring. It's the part that leads me to tell people that if you love tedium, you'll love violin making! However, it's an exciting part for me because this is the stage where I can begin to give the instrument its voice. Whatever time is invested in this task now will pay dividends for the life of the instrument, so I don't stint. The usual procedure is to take one plate to a certain point, and then do the same for the other. Switching back and forth like this is a prudent way to keep things in step. If one side gets too far ahead of the other, sometimes it is not possible to match them again. Some makers in violin work will build three or four sets of plates at once, and then match them according to their tap frequencies and weights. Since it would likely take a couple of years to do this on basses, the option is out of the question. I'm really beginning to like the way this bass looks. I'd better: I've been looking at it for 280 hours.

 

[April 5, 2010]

In the Belly of the Beast.

The top has been removed from the ribs, and this picture shows that the wood on the inside is being removed. Luthiers call the process "graduating" the plate. The eyes of the f-holes have been drilled out, and near the lower corner on the viewer's left you can see the hole of the lower eye (that's the lower corner of the bass, not the picture :-)). This is an old trick from the Northern German school of violin making: drill out the eye-holes from the outside to the same depth that you want the thickness of the plate to be at that point. Then flip the plate over and plane in that area until the eye reveals itself. This eliminates a great deal of measuring the thickness and marking the plate, which saves time. Graduating will continue until the tap-tone frequencies appear to be approaching an optimal point. As wood on the interior is removed, the plate becomes very light. The time clock now points to 240 hours.

[March 16, 2010]

Here's the top of the bass, fully purfled but without the connection to the archings just yet. That will be done by the time you read this. If you look closely, you might be able to discern the outline of the f-hole on the side nearest the camera. To make it visible I had to increase the contrast quite a bit, which makes the color of the heavy grains look somewhat darker than they really are. The ground coats of the varnish process will also tend to even out the difference between the lighter and darker areas.

I lay out the f-holes now for three reasons: first to integrate the archings at the lower wings, which is often a dicey process, and, second, to be sure that the short string length is observed. Third, because this will be a five-string bass, I must be sure that there is enough space between the upper eyes for the dimensions of the bridge, which will be wider than it would be on a bass with four strings. I had to do a little tweaking to get everything to fit on the frame of a 3/4-size model, so this is getting close to being my last chance to get it right before I drill the eye centers. Once the wood is cut, there's no turning back!

In a few more days, the top and back will be ready to come off, and interior graduations and plate tuning will begin. Time in the project to date is approximately 215 hours.

 

 

[March 8, 2010]

Here's a picture of the purfling miter on the lower corner on the back of Paul's bass. It still bears the marks of the hammer and has not been smoothed into the arching yet, but it is still interesting to see at this stage. There is an area that we call the "sinking" that follows the purfling all around the outline. The sinking will rise to the highest point of the edgework on the outside edge, shown here by the pencil line for now, and on the other side it will be integrated with the arching. This takes me a while and can be rather Zen-like, which gives me a chance to think about the steps that come next. After the arching is nearly complete, the bass will be rolled over and the same steps taken on the top. There will be no more work on the back now until it is removed from the rib assembly and the interior graduations begin. Time on the project to date is about 205 hours.

 

Click to read about the first 100 hours of this project.

Click to read about the second 100 hours of this project.

Adobe Acrobat Reader required.

 

 

 

December 9, 2009
Work on "Barantonio" Finally Resumes.

The often-delayed second baritone of my third-generation series is finally back on the bench. Due to a medical crisis and subsequent death in the family, this instrument has been hanging on a hook since February of 2009, just a few weeks short of being ready for varnish. I name most of my instruments for ease of reference while they are under construction. "Barantonio" is a combination of "baritone" and of "Antonio." The first is to recognize its place in the New Family, and the second is a reference to to the great Antonio Stradivari, whose early models of large cellos, such as the "Servais," heavily influenced this design. Here's a picture of the scroll button when I was finishing it.

 

[February 14, 2010]

I don't get much chance to work on the baritone these days. Pity, because it is just four or five hours away from being ready to varnish. Here's the lower treble corner and f-hole eye. Both still a little rough in this picture, but enough to convey the idea.

 

 

 

 

1. What is the difference between the various grades of New Family violins you offer?
2. What's the difference between the generations of New Family Violins?

1: There are four projected grades; beginner, high grade, master shop, and handmade. At present, only high-grade and handmade options are available.

Beginner. A student's starter instrument made for durability. It is accurately scaled and covered with a matte-finish, sprayed-on varnish. Wood quality and workmanship is good, with a carved back and top. The plates are graduated but not plate-tuned. Standard setup and adjustment for the beginning student. The lowest-cost instrument we offer. Please inquire about availability.

High Grade. This is our standard offering, the kind you see pictured on this site. It is accurately scaled and finished with a good spirit varnish, nicely polished. Wood quality is often astonishing for instruments in this class, and workmanship is very good. It is entirely hand made with a carved back and top. The plates are nicely graduated but not plate tuned. Instruments are set up and adjusted in our shop or in the shops of luthiers trained to our standard. Acoustically and in terms of overall quality, these are a great value for the money.

Master Shop. These instruments begin as high-grade models either varnished or in the white, all hand-made utilizing the finest well-aged tonewood available. A particpating luthier removes the top and back and tunes the plates according to the methods developed by C. M. Hutchins. The instruments are then hand-varnished, if needed, in either spirit or oil, and finished to the standards of the shop master with a professional-grade setup. The result is a fine-sounding instrument at half the cost of a handmade model. A Master Shop model might well be all the instrument you'll ever need.

Hand Made. In the spirit of the early masters, a hand made instrument begins with the individual selection of aged tonewood. Even the choices from interior structural parts to the type of pegs and tailpiece are made by the maker personally. Attention to every detail is what one would exepct from an instrument in this category. The plates are tuned according to the methods developed by C. M. Hutchins. These are the best possible quality and are intended for the professional player, advanced conservatory student, or discerning musician.

What are the differences between the generations of New Family Violins?

A. The differences are mostly evolutionary, rather than revolutionary

Gen. 1: Original Hutchins/Schelleng designs with deep ribs in the lower four instruments and some unsettled lengths in others; for example, the 16" "he-man" mezzo violin. Inconsistent neck lengths.

Gen. 2: Original models corrected by Hutchins with shallow ribs on the lowest four, mezzo violin reduced to 15", other tweaks.

Gen. 3: Models by R. J. Spear based on Sacconi's geometric form ideal in an effort to see if air modes could be favorably influenced by body design. Very shallow ribs. Body sizes reduced based on Bissinger's work showing how corpus compliance influences air modes.

Gen. 4: Present models by R. J. Spear on corrected Cremonese geometry. Ribs increased in size to allow stable placement on floor (larger instruments) when not being played and to ensure secure neck joint at upper block. Air and body mode theoretical placements now used as parameters to be manipulated rather than a goal to be reached. Application of correct-proportion neck and string lengths on all models, including the soprano and treble violin (although it has been difficult to get a top string for the correct-proportion treble). Present work is on a redesign of the tenor to avoid the B1 mode "doublets" that have been in all the tenors since the beginning.

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Cyberchute Web Hosting is the server that runs this site and our sister site, Octavivo! It is owned by Tim Trott, a long-time supporter of the New Violin Family. Tim's company is small, but the service we get from him is enormous. You might save a buck or two a month by going with one of the massive services, but the first time you have a problem on Tim's site, you'll understand what good, quick, and personal service means.

 

 

The Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble is one of the musical treasures in the lakes region of Upstate New York. Roberta Crawford, a founding member of the FLCE and a longtime friend of mine, has owned two of my standard violas and has played them exclusively over the last eleven years. If you are ever in this part of the country, check out the FLCE web page for concert and recital notices. You owe it to yourself to hear this group.

 

 

 

These are difficult times for small non-profits struggling to gain or maintain a financial foothold. Jane Hexter's company, which is local to my area, provides a great deal of information and support with classes, newsletters, blog, and a wonderfully upbeat attitude toward helping you achieve your goals.

 

This is the site for the Guild of American Luthiers, America's premier organization for makers of fretted and plucked instruments of all kinds. You'll also find some interesting violin articles in back issues of their excellent quarterly, American Lutherie.

 

The Hutchins Consort is the first and oldest performing group in the country to play exclusivey on instruments of the violin octet. They're an extraordinary bunch of musicians, not to mention really good folks. Check out their site for their active performing schedule and some interesting CDs.

 

Website of the New Violin Family, with lots of interesting information about the octet. CDs are available for sale, and free downloads of back issues of their newsletter, the Violin Octet, on the publications page.

 

Dylan Race's shop in Spencer, New York is located about ten minutes from scenic downtown Ithaca. Dylan has rapidly gained in experience about the expanded violin family, some of which can be found in his showroom.

 

This is a link for my friend and fellow violin maker, Joris Wouters, who lives and works in Belgium. In addition to conventional violins, Joris makes octet instruments, too. He is a good photographer, and his site is very interesting. If you live in Europe and want to see and hear octet violins, give Joris a call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grigory Sedukhwas the first major violinist to use the treble violin as a solo instrument, and he has raised it to a virtuoso level. Sedukh, who lives in St. Petersburg, Russia, has finally put together a web site where you can learn more about him in his own words.