I finished polishing out my latest instrument the other day. I built it with the idea in mind of entering it in the Violin Society of America (VSA) competition at their convention this fall in Cleveland. These competitions take place every other year and luthiers from all over the world submit violin family instruments and bows for judging. It's a great way to get feedback from experts about your work and see where you can improve.
(Isn't the back pretty? Not the easiest piece of maple to work with, but I like the way it came out.)
This violin is one of two I started last spring and I am excited that I will finally be able to hear it soon. But first I have to select fittings for it. Fittings are most of the pieces you add to the instrument to actually make it playable (pegs, tailpiece, endbutton and chinrest) and they usually match in terms of wood, coloration, and style.
Ebony (black) is kind of the basic standard, so I originally figured I'd just do that. But as the color on my violin developed during the varnishing process I started picturing rosewood instead. I was all set to go with that today, but then I pulled out a tailpiece made of boxwood and now I'm kind of leaning that direction. I'm not sure. Anyone else feel strongly about one over another?
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| EBONY |
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| ROSEWOOD |
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| BOXWOOD |
