Interesting Violin Making Devices by Evan Smith

Plate Holding Jig On Upright Jig. My Violin Back Ready for Final Scraping.

  

Scraping

  

Top Glued on Garland Bass bar Installed.

  

Back Glued on Completing Box.

  

First Day at Tucson Workshop

Evan's Inventive Bass

World's Smallest Bass Player

Ed Campbell Trying Out a White Violin

Acoustical Puddy Being Applied.

Listening for Body Resonance.

End of the Week Banquet

Beautiful Singer

Ed Campbell presenting me with a certificate.

After a great week of violin making I am playing my newest violin in the white with Evans great family.

Listen to us. Click here.

Continued Guitar Tuning

 Evan is tap tuning a Martin D-28.

When he started this guitar was not enjoyable to play. It had a soft but tinny sound. After cutting down back struts and tuning the top struts the guitar is much impruved and a lot of fun to play.

CHIMNEY’S VIOLIN MAKING WORKSHOP

I just arrived in Tucson to attend Ed  Campbell’s violin making workshop.The first thing I did was to visit Evan Smith.

He showed me his new ideas about plate tuning and balancing, followed by bridge tuning and balancing of which I will get into more detail latter.But the real fun was playing his newly tuned guitar and I don’t mean the strings.

Hear are sme pictures of Evan tuning the braces inside the guitars body.

Evan preparing to tune braces

Planning a brace

Inside work

Tapping back to see what is next.

Eastman Guitar AC508

This guitar is beautiful. It has a wonderful tone and it is fun to play.

Please call  Golden Violins 215-242-0307 for a great price.

Listen to this guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/goldenviolins1?feature=mhw5

Fitting a Bass Bar in a Violin Top

One of the most important processes in violin making is fitting the bass bar. Here are some pics of me  fitting my latest violin with a bass bar.     

Top With Bass Bar Stock

1. 

   

   Starting the Fit Visually

Planing a Smooth Area for the Bar

  

Making the First Cut

 

Measuring Thickness of Stock Spruce

 

  

  

• 
• Top With Bass Bar Stock

     

Bass Bar Clamped

 

Guitar Set Up

Today a nice gentleman brougth a guitar into the shop. His problem, he bought it at a liquidators cheap.But it does not work. My job is to make it play. I loosened all the strings and shimmed the saddle allowing the strings to clear the fretboard and now the guitar plays very well. Of course it does not sound as good as my Bristol Guitar but thats another story.

At My Bench

I loosened all the strings and shimmed the saddle allowing the strings to clear the fretboard and now the guitar plays very well. Of course it does not sound as good as my Bristol Guitar but thats another story.

Jazz at the Mermaid

Just came fom the Mermaid Inn in Chestnut Hill Philadelphia.One block from my Violin Guitar Shop.

Steve Giordano, Joe Nero and Dave Posmontier played Jazz like you would expect to hear at a very expensive Jazz Club in New York  City. But it was in Chestnut Hill,what a treat. I absolutely loved their music.

Try to see them next month.

I have a great sounding bass for sale.

This bass has blown me away. I think I would like to keep it for my self, but if someone  offers me $800 I might just give it up. I restored it from oblivion and am only asking the price of the repairs.  

German Plywood Bass