Nov 14, 2007 learn about the f holes on a violin and how they affect playing the instrument with expert music training tips in this free online instrument instruction video clip. Welcome to dougs plugs hand made f hole covers for the jazz guitar industry if youve experienced feedback on your expensive archtop, youve come to the right place. The proper way would be to remove the entire top by separating it from its ribs, apply animal glue to the crack. Ask a luthier fallen violin sound post how to fix it. The precision of this process requires a steady hand. The question of how the fhole design found in violins, violas an cellos came to predominate is one which has divided historians and musicians for some time. These are specially designed tools, made by derek himself, to cut the top and bottom holes. New research into the development of violin fholes is. Jan 04, 20 this is a clamp that i invented some years ago. Mine broke at the peg hole some years back while i was tuning, and i. Herdim bass over rib clamp, 425mm depth, 2mm height product number. Most of the time they can be glued from the outside.
Flexing the crack open, i was able to work in lots of good glue. Why violin makers adopted the fshaped hole boing boing. A sound hole is an opening in the body of a stringed musical instrument, usually the upper sound board. F hole cracks are very common for violin family instruments. Fhole distortion repair the pegbox maestronet forums. Since the violin is already closed at this phase, inserting the anima is done by using a special metal instrument and peeking through the f hole. There are similar diagrams for the piccolo cello, the tenor and contralto violas, and for different models of the violin. As shown in the photos above, we have an example of a crack that runs about 2 inches above the left f hole of a viola. This template belongs to the particular stradivarius model which derek is making.
No major piece of a violin serves just one purpose, and all of the pieces interact. Sep, 2008 first national institute violin sticker on back. From the suggestion that it was simply a creative flourish by an early violinmaker, to the idea that violins were so designed in honour of a royal customer of the 16th century, king. The gaps at the wing tips should have the width of about 1 mm. Dougs plugs handmade fhole covers to eliminate feedback.
The other controversial conclusions of these researchers are that fhole length is the primary factor governing the acoustic power of violins, and that fholes steadily increased in length from the 16th century until the death of del gesu. Mathias menanteau, a french violin maker in rome, cuts the fholes using a sharp knife. Making light crack clamps salve hakedal, fiolinmaker. Fhole definition is one of the two fshaped sound holes in the top of a violin or other bowed stringed instrument. Ive found the best spot to be just between the bridge and the tailpiece on the bass side of your violin. Bassist and former apprentice to a violin maker here. From the suggestion that it was simply a creative flourish by an early violinmaker, to. If the instrument is taken apart a well fitted cleat can be added to help strengthen that area. Individual clamp screws for violin, viola, cello, and bass. It is the only way to glue a common fhole crack in violin and viola plates in an easy and clean. New research into the development of violin fholes is simplistic at best. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
If the f holes are placed too wide apart, the sound tends to become rough. There are many other sound hole patterns that would probably work as well. The evolutionary path of this elegant innovationclive thompson at boing boing demonstrates with a colorcoded charttakes us from those original round holes, to a halfmoon, then to variouslyelaborated cshapes, and finally to the fhole. Crack extends almost to area 4 inches from peg, on edge. Mar 28, 2001 the fhole is a cut in the side of an acoustic stringed instrument, usually in the violin or guitar family. Installing is extremely easy, but you will have to play with it a little to find the best spot. Lightly glue cleat to clamp and position for clamping in place. Occasionally these types of cracks can be glued from the outside but most likely you will need to remove the top. Set of 4 f hole cleat clamps, a handy clamp, fits through f hole to set a cleat, greatly improves the strength of a repaired crack. To install simply open the clip, carefully place the clip inside of your fhole and clip it onto the belly of the instrument. The peg bushing repair is necessary when the peg hole.
The f hole determines the shape of the belly itself, and the division of the belly into smaller sections by the bridge, soundpost, and bassbar, is thought to contribute to the tone of the instrument. The cello adjuster tube can now be screwed into the 4. To finish the assembly, pad the mouths of the clamp with thin leather or rubber, and put the adjuster screws into their respective tubes. The peg bushing wood is selected to give the maximum. Side view of the spruce top crack above the left fhole violin top crack.
An f clamp was used to maintain lateral pressure to keep the crack. New study identifies key design features that boost. As an example, for f 285 hz, and k 108 nm the value of m 34 mg. Then the bridge of the violin which comes in rough form was cut, shaped and fitted to the instrument. The portion of the top that sits between the f holes is what mechanically amplifies that tiny amount of vibration that is coming from the string. Some instruments come in more than one style mandolins may have f holes, round or oval holes.
The bottom of the f hole is 17 mm 112 ac below the line through the center of the lower eye, another example of how stradivari proportioned the instrument in relation to the triangle. Study gives scientific explanation for fholes in violins. The researchers found that a key feature affecting a violins sound is the shape and length of its fholes, the fshaped openings through which air escapes. It is very common for the pegbox wall to crack at the peg hole due to excessive force applied to a badly fitting peg. Learn about the f holes on a violin and how they affect playing the instrument with expert music training tips in this free online instrument instruction video clip. It is shaped like a cursive lowercase f or long s the object of the fhole, like any soundhole, is to provide some escape for the sound the hollow body of the instrument amplifies the sound and also to affect the tone of the sound, as well as the aesthetic effect. When violin family instruments were evolving, the letter that we know today as a small italic f was actually a long, descending or. However, the f hole is more a technical solution optimizing the dynamic function. The peg bushing repair is necessary when the peg hole becomes too large to fit the peg. It is the only way to glue a common f hole crack in violin and viola plates in an easy and clean way. Fixing a violin belly crack doesnt have to be the most difficult thing you try to do all day. They are different sizes because the top hole is smaller than the bottom. The f shape turns out to have physics that push a lot more air than a circular hole, making the violin s output dramatically more powerful.
The ideal tool for cutting perfectly cylindrical f holes in violin viola. The larger the peg hole then the weaker the pegbox wall will become. Light crack clamps salve hakedal, fiolinmaker, violin maker. Today violin maker derek roberts cuts the f holes which were marked out in the previous stage on the front plate of the violin. Sharpen your knife extra sharp and finish both f hole outlines to perfection because later, you wont have the free access when the plate is glued to. A template of thin plywood is used to give the shape of the f hole.
Violin, viola, cello and bass bass bar cracks bass bar cracks can distort the shape of the instruments top because of the strain of the bass bar. Some of the limitations you would expect, others are more subtle. The sound holes of stringed instruments such as fine cellos, violas and violins, also known as fholes, are openings in the top plate. And to see how a contemporary violin maker cuts the instruments f holes, see a careful demonstration in the video above, and learn more about the art and science of violin making here. Fits through the f hole for cleating cracks wout removing the top. Violin top crack repair fixing a short crack on a violin top. They will be marked out on the front plate of the violin which was thicknessed in the previous stage.
To read the mathematical demonstrations of the f hole s superior conductance, see makris and his coauthors published paper here. Apr 06, 20 over the generations, violin makers have experimented with various lengths and widths of f holes, and the positioning of the f holes on the top. The f holes on a violin, viola, cello, or bass are placed in such a way as to allow the most sound to be projected from the instrument. F hole definition is one of the two f shaped sound holes in the top of a violin or other bowed stringed instrument. Today violin maker derek roberts starts work on the f holes or sound holes. It is the only way to glue a common fhole crack in violin and viola plates in an easy and clean way. Stainless steel profile, steel screw, gun metal finish. A round or oval hole or a rosette is usually a single one, under. I recently moved to namibia, where the relative humidity over the last 4 months was hovering around %. This is another common violin repairissue that happens all the time, especially with newer violins. Drilling new peg holes a friends daughters violin strings kept breaking, and i was surprised her orchestra teacher didnt catch on to what was happening. The fshape turns out to have physics that push a lot more air than a circular hole, making the violins output dramatically more powerful.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find. Has that old smell ill try and post a clip on myspace as soon as i can. To clamp the crack closed, i chose a small pine wedge, which i inserted into the f hole where it was a bit wider, and slid downward to the point. Mar 09, 2015 why violin makers adopted the f shaped hole. To finish the assembly, pad the mouths of the clamp with thin leather or rubber. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The proper way would be to remove the entire top by separating it from its ribs, apply animal glue to the crack joint, and secure the crack further from opening in the future by means of studs or cleats beneath the crack. Designing the sound holes the sound holes on violins, violas and cellos arent there just to be gorgeous. The violin sounds very good for an inexpensive violin. When this happens the f hole is just the opening too let this happen. As shown in the photos above, we have an example of a crack that runs about 2 inches above the left fhole of a viola. Cracks in violin plates should normally not need much pressure to glue, and it. Jul 07, 2016 the question of how the f hole design found in violins, violas an cellos came to predominate is one which has divided historians and musicians for some time.
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