In a previous episode of Zen And The Art Of Violin Maintenance
I demonstrated how to remove the back and neck of a German made Ruggeri style, full sized violin, which I purchased in a New York City thrift shop some 30-years ago, for around 40 bucks - this so that I could repair a pretty nasty crack in its soundboard.
In this follow-up video I’m going to re-set the neck of this same instrument.
Thousands Ruggeri violin copies, were made in German workshops, between 1921 and 1945 primarily for export to the US. These are considered good solid student quality instruments.
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Use of rabbit-skin glue dates back some 5-millenea to ancient Egypt.
To musicians it is critical for it’s capacity to project volume and transmit rich tonal range - to luthiers it is invaluable for the relative ease with which parts can, time and time again, be unglued for repair-work,
without damaging the instrument.
The challenge of rabbit-skin glue, on the other hand, is that, for optimal strength, it must be applied at between 62 and 65 ºC (140-145 ºF) - this and that it sets quite quickly - leaving very little room for error.
While most of today’s luthiers use temperature controlled glue pots,
I gauge my glue temperature in the traditional way, which is to apply it when tiny bubbles begin to form within the pan, around the glue jar.
Note that if temperatures exceed 65º the glue’s adhesiveness diminishes.
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My neck re-setting innovation is somewhat unique in that rather than using clamps and leaving the violin fully strung, which is the more orthodox way to proceed, I prefer to use rubber straps, which I pre-cut to size, in order to join the pieces firmly into place.
I find that my Rubber Strap method is more efficient than fiddling around
with clamp and string adjustment. Additionally there is often a tendency
for the fine-tuning levers on the tailpiece to scratch the body’s surface.
The rubber strap alternative helps us to avoid such gaffes.
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Violins are superbly designed machines - optimally functional as well as spectacularly beautiful - certainly one of the western world’s greatest
achievements where form meets function - so much so
that rather than keeping my modest collection in their cases
I just can’t resist but to have them displayed all around me.
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In forthcoming episodes of Zen, and the Art of Violin Maintenance,
I’ll demonstrate how to insert and adjust the critically important, though tiny and unassuming 55cm of dowel, known as the sound post.
We’ll also discuss various recipes for concocting and applying the all important varnish - all this with the objective of achieving superior sound and aesthetic grace.
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Please Note:
I can not reiterate enough that the innovative repair methods
demonstrated here are unorthodox, and therefore not
advocated for employment with a valuable instrument.
Apart from the ones I’ve made myself, each of my violins were purchased for less than 100-dollars, are of student-grade quality, and were in varyingly sad states of disrepair - so much so that they wouldn’t be worthy of a qualified luthiers attention.
So please - if you have a valuable instrument
in need of maintenance, bring it to a qualified professional!

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MUSICAL CREDIT:
If anyone can identify the back-ground rendition of Bach's Air on the G String please help us to give proper credit to the artist as well as any other relevant recording details. I found it on Internet Archives, and understand that it is public domain. Many thanks!

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