Handmade Violins & Guitars

Dudley Violins & Guitars

Violin Construction

Barry Dudley still uses the same basic methods that were used by Guarneri and Stradivari.

 

It all starts with an “inside mold” onto which the blocks and ribs are formed. There are still some of Stradivari’s molds in existence today. This mold you see here is very similar to the ones used 300 years ago.  Even the mold is handmade in the shop.    

After the ribs are formed and glued to the blocks, the linings are glued in forming a solid base to attach the top and back. 

Phone: 770-266-0237

email: barry@barrydudley.com

The ribs are thinned to around 1m/m and then hand bent on a hot bending iron. Once they are bent they are glued up on the mold. 

The back is made from a finely figured billet of solid maple. The two halves are glued together and the back is roughed out. The purfling grove is cut and the purfling is installed.  The exterior shape is refined by drawing contour lines on the plate to check for symmetry. 

Once the back is graduated and tuned, it is glued to the ribs or “garland” 

 

The outside of the soundboard is formed in much the same manner as the back. Once the outside is refined the measurements for the “F-holes” are precisely taken and then drawn on. 

The inside of the soundboard is roughed out and graduated.  The graduations are refined and the bass bar is fitted, carved and then tuned.

The body or “corpus” is then completed by gluing the soundboard to the ribs. 

The neck and scroll are hand carved from a solid block of Maple.

One of the biggest challenges to making a violin is applying the finish! A well constructed instrument can be ruined with a small mistake in the varnishing process.

Here you see the violin with some varnish on it.

The violin is trimmed out with the bridge, keys and strings. The final set up is done and the violin waits to be brought to life by some talented musician. 

After the violin is complete but before the varnish is applied it is refered to being “in the white” Here is a 5-string “in the white”