A minute into this video I sprinted out of the room to go de-tension my 135 year old family heirloom violin. I had an open seam by the end pin hole and I had been putting off repairing it. I never imagined this kind of damage could happen from such a seemingly small problem. Now it's safely at the luthier. Thanks Olaf!

@jessicaengle3160

8 ай бұрын

Did you get it back from the luthier? Will you play it? I hope maybe

@bottasegreta

8 ай бұрын

Yes I did! And yes I do! The luthier tells me the two pieces of maple that were used for the back were probably from two different trees, so they contracted at different rates, so a seam opened. All fixed now. Got some new ebony pegs and re-haired one of my bows while I was at it. Now I can be 100% sure if the violin sounds bad, it's me, not the instrument....@@jessicaengle3160

I find it so interesting to follow the repair jobs you do. I helped a friend with a one hundred year old mandolin that had come apart from neglect. Basically , it folded at joint between neck and body. With my advise they were able to steam it apart and reassemble with fresh glue. They were pretty happy. It was originally my friend’s grand fathers instrument! Thanks Olaf.

I have a worse off violin. It was my first violin from when I was 7 or 8. My step brother took it and flipped it over in the case, then slammed the lid down shattering the neck. I quit playing for a long time after that but always kept it. One day when I have some money saved up I'd like to get it fixed for sentimental reasons

@gke3800

9 ай бұрын

Is your step brother still an idiot?

Hi Olaf; If you would like to see a violin with worse damage at the tail block, watch the video by Jerry Rosa listed here, "433 RSW Chocolate A Bittersweet Restoration." Jerry has been doing instrument repair for at least 40 years now, so I guess that makes you two birds of a feather. I watched part 2 first and I have really enjoyed watching this repair. I watch several luthiers videos and I learn something from all of them. I'm really glad that there are guys like you willing to share their knowledge with us who only do this sort of thing as a hobby. Thanks for sharing your videos.

@frag4007

2 жыл бұрын

Do you know about ted woodford his channel is twoodfrd

At work today I had a cello that had a spookily similar level of separation at the lower block near the tailpiece with the seams. Also, it was even depressed inwards towards the body of the instrument! I was mortified and I immediately remember the thumbnail of this video. Amazing content as always, your positivity is so refreshing :)

Leaving your violin with the strings on - ouch I felt that... My granddad's violin was left like that for 27 years, the string tension had pulled the neck/fingerboard right down to the top plate. I guess the strings should've all been loosened up for storage. (Now I know!)

I want to know if you have repair it ! where is the next episode ! It is so much of a clifhanger :')

Highly audible gasp! Oh my.

Olaf you would be some much fun to chill and have a coffee with

With the amount of work needed to (attempt to) repair this violin, I am wondering if it's even worth the monetary consideration. Sure, rescuing an old instrument has its onw virtue, but as a consumer, I wonder if the cost of repair exceeds the cost of a mid-low tier instrument.

@louisabone2614

2 жыл бұрын

I guess it depends on what it means to the person... sometimes an instrument may be given by someone special and hold a special significance For example a mid range violin maybe has a value of 5000 to most But a mid range given by maybe a grandparent who supported or encouraged them to learn Or used to be the grandparents handed down The personal value could be higher than any high end instrument

@cpt_nordbart

2 жыл бұрын

twoodfrd talked about that when repairing guitars. Is it worth the repair? Probably not. But throwing away a broken instrument that can be repaired is something no instrument maker will like. Also it's an environmental thing. Always getting a new thing because the old is broken isn't feasible in the long run. Will repairs be as good as new? Maybe. But if not it ads character and gives the instrument history.

@andron967

2 жыл бұрын

I normally would agree with a violin in this condition. But his speed and skill level will pull it off.

@andron967

2 жыл бұрын

I once put a guitar back together that had been crushed by a very drunk girl while on a river rafting trip on the Colorado River. It was a cheap guitar. They would have put it in the camp fire but the owner didn't want the girl to feel bad. The owners wife put it in a plastic bag and hid it under the rowing seat here it stayed for several days in the canyon sun etc. His wife told him she threw it out when the got home. I spent a couple of months rebuilding it. A great surprise at his birthday party.

@samuellourenco1050

Жыл бұрын

It is worth if it is an old instrument. For new, low quality, mass produced instruments, nah.

I don't play any stringed instruments but I am fascinated by the skills necessary to repair (and make) these instruments. I play the Saxophone & Clarinet and I loved watching the Instrument Repairmen (and women) when they replaced pads, springs, corks, etc. I really wanted to learn how to repair instruments but my parents were quite against this choice of mine. This was back in the 1970s. Today, I find it difficult to find a good Repair person for my horns.... and it appears this is the norm in many areas. Now, I really do wish I had learned how to repair musical instruments!

@zappzapp1350

Ай бұрын

Its never too late....just buy a broken one and try your best.

@harveyblankenship564

Ай бұрын

@@zappzapp1350 That is how I learned to make basic/simple repairs on my horns. I still do the most simple/basic repairs, myself, but have found an excellent instrument repairman for the bigger jobs.

@zappzapp1350

Ай бұрын

Never too late....buy broken once read books and try and error....it is such a pleasent work to do.....

@zappzapp1350

Ай бұрын

@@harveyblankenship564 what horns you have? Sound interesting.....i play didgeridoos....and like the selfmade once the best.

Thanks for the video! This made me wonder, how would a repair on a soaked violin/violla/cello would look like. I can imagine there are some instruments that did suffer from water during floods or tsunamis.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

I had a violin like that which ended up in about 10 pieces... If I get a repair like that again, I'll definitely film it.

@Vokabre

2 жыл бұрын

Ooof, that sounds terrible, that probably would make an interesting video, but hopefully there won't be a repair like that

This is why I store any violin for longer terms with just a bit of string tension. Enough to keep the sound post seated

@Fidi987

2 жыл бұрын

I inherited a probably very cheap violin from 1934. Everything that had been in the case at the time of purchase still was there. And there was a little leaflet from the violin maker detailing how to care for the instrument. Maybe that should be standard today gain, too.

@neonsamurai1348

2 жыл бұрын

@@Fidi987 Ya, my main violin purchased in the 1980s came with a care pamphlet too

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

Mine come with an instru care ebook 😀 It totally makes sense

It looks to me like it was subject to heat for quite some time. I was offered a violin that had come apart due to heat but the deciding factor against taking it was that someone had tried to glue it back together with some unknown substance which probably did more harm than the heat. I didn't think it was worth my time.

who'da thought Glad wrap was a crucial tool in a luthier's arsenal?

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, You really have to be creative...

How do you prepare a stringed instrument for storage? Maybe you could do a video on it. Granted, we should all be using our instruments daily, but sometimes life gets in the way.

@clemensgruber6213

2 жыл бұрын

... or for transport.

@louisabone2614

2 жыл бұрын

I personally would loosen the strings for storage

@conchobar

2 жыл бұрын

@@louisabone2614 How loose? Lose enough to remove the bridge? Would you loosen the strings for 1,2, 3-12 months in storage? Many questions.

@louisabone2614

2 жыл бұрын

@@conchobar not enough to move the bridge as that can let the sound post move if knocked just slightly loose so it's not so tight

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

I would keep normal tension foe transport but loosen down by a 4th or 5th for storage. If an instrument is in storage I would check it over every 4 to 6 months.

I agree with the thumbnail

Another very interesting video. I had a rib come apart from the top plate of my violin when I went somewhere very dry for a couple of weeks. I'm glad we had it fixed immediately! You showed us how bad things can get when you neglect them!

My first impression was that it was going to be like the brush which has had the bristles replaced 3 times and the pole replaced twice - but it's still the "same" brush! So, you give the violin a new top, a new bottom, new sides, a new neck and new strings - but keep the original tuning keys ;-)

I love these kind of videos of you the most! Totally epic! I always wonder how much does a customer get charged for a thing like this?

Where’s part 2??? Can’t wait to see how this turned out 😅

My concern is how will the sound be affected with the repair. Visually, it could appear fine and unnoticeable.

Thank you olaf for sharing this !!!

You could strengthen it with a god pillar. :-P

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

🤣

@kwcnasa

2 жыл бұрын

Omg, so ture

Do you have a video showing how to remove a top attached with a peg on each end??

when is the integrity of a pieced together area worse than replacing that part/area? It seems at some point the glued jig saw puzzle would be much worse than a replacement wood?

Hi Olaf, I have a question. I bought a violin that appears to be baroque, with short fingerboard and small holes in a tailpiece and so on, smallish with a case that fits length of the violin but no longer, so for a short bow. It cost me 40 dollars after conversion. Should I buy another violin prior I crack it open, or should I practice on the one I bought as it was sub 100 dollars? I would like to check the bass bar and perhaps the label if it is still there. It is the only violin I have. I own 12 guitars I could practice on if it is relevant.

Abou leaving strings on an instrument you don’t play for a couple years: guitar makers say the opposite about guitars-don‘t take the strings off for too long, the instrument is made with that tension in mind, and without it, the neck may warp and twist, etc. Interesting how it’s different for different instruments.

Wow. I saw a WM Lewis violin regraduated in 2017 on EBAY. Most of the varnish was "replaced", but you can tell what color it was based on what was left on the scroll. I don't think it is a $1500 instrument. PS don't advertise repairs in ball point pen on the inside. As bad as the repair job was, 12 watchers!

You can tell this is serious because Olaf is wearing his Black Sheep Coffee t-shirt.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely... you have to wear the right gear for a tricky repair like this

@phillefever1934

2 жыл бұрын

I came to the comments just to find the origin of the shirt, the simple graphic is superb!! Now to see if I can get one to the States…

IN the USA Timber is usually trees on the stump. I have also heard it used for logs cut to go to the mill. I love hearing you call a tiny piece of wood TIMBER. I'm not criticizing.

I can't be the only person who visibly recoiled and said ooooof when they saw the damage

Question. How often should a violin be returned to you for upkeep, so that we spend less in the long run and keep our babies in top condition? I have noticed that the more you play, the warmer and fuller the sound, and I would hate to lose that.

Looks like a Dingo ate the violin. You are a brave (and extremely skilled) man. I would have written off that instrument as unrecoverable.

Scary, I just got a new violin I love and the back is coming unglued right where you pointed your finger at this one! Time to take it to a Luthier.

0:11 😖 OOoouf!

Ouch! Learn on a $100 violin you say. Can be an even harder & destructive experience if they have used an aliphatic or PVA type glue in manufacture. ;) I do agree though & one needs to know their limits too. BTW, I ended up making my end block clamp like that a couple of decades ago. Files can be shaped into gauges too when on a tight budget. :)

@nskimharris

2 жыл бұрын

yeah but then you really learn how not to crack the wood

@rossthefiddler5890

2 жыл бұрын

@@nskimharris Yes, that's true & also learn how to repair the damage from it (if it unfortunately occurred). My first experience opening up a violin that had been worked on by a backyard person using PVA glue (& western red cedar for a bass bar) was not kind, but learning how to deal with foreign glues was something I had to come to terms with real quick. That first violin was muted & nasally before I repaired it but when returned it was clear & powerful.

@nskimharris

2 жыл бұрын

@@rossthefiddler5890 I have yet to put one back together haha...just started. That is very neat that you were able to improve the sound so much!

@rossthefiddler5890

2 жыл бұрын

@@nskimharris Learning violin making is a good start to understand the aspects of construction & applied physics etc. together with the artistic finish. I gave that particular violin a properly fitted & tuned bass bar (using the tap tone method) in place of the rough one he had glued in & then followed through with traditional set up procedures with an accurately fitted sound post & bridge etc. so that gave it the voice it should have had. I can't remember the other reasons I offered to do it (a couple of decades ago), but one would have been the careless placement of the belly that allowed the fingerboard to be too low because he must have had the scroll sitting on the table without any knowledge of what a fingerboard projected height should be.

@nskimharris

2 жыл бұрын

@@rossthefiddler5890 fascinating, thank you!

Olaf I know you’re busy but I have a question if I may. When trying to reinforce the rib at the end block to enable the instrument to withstand the string tension, would placing a full rib sized cleat (same height as the rib) spanning the damaged region between the end block and rib would have upon the sound quality and resonance quality as opposed to reinforcing the area after the end block is glued into place and then trying to strengthen the area? Thank you for your time sharing your thoughts. I’m a big fan from over in the states. Be well and stay safe.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

I think both repairs would have a similar effect on the sound...

oh my!

Ugh that looks painful, I expected the rest of the rib to fly off when you removed the chin rest…lol your cauldron of glue bubbling away!

It is very difficult to "try this on a 100$ violin": most are glued with modern glue, like epoxy or Urea-Formaldehyde… and it is almost impossible to break the joint… The wood breaks.

For a guitar it's always better to leave the strings on as the tension helps keep the neck straight.

Do all your special clamps/blocks even fit on your worktable?

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

Haha possibly... maybe if I tidied up a bit more...

So that means -- in sense of lession learned -- that you have to un-tie the strings in case of an accident to unload the pressure? Or was the following seconds damage immediately after the first break? ... [edit] Ok, i'm now at the point where you mention "2 years"! ;-)

Wow

Needless to say there was definitely a lot of damage to that violin. That, I can tell you!

Is that Albin Ludwig Paulus particularly valuable? I get the distinct impression you are a straight-shooter with your clients. How many repairs do you take on where the instrument is "Beyond Economical Repair" (as it's phrased in my field) because the client had a sentimental attachment? As much as I am attached to the Corelli violin my late mother bought me when I was a child I couldn't see myself trying to save it from something like that. I could only imagine she paid $200, 30 or so years ago from how it was constructed. I could only imagine that it's worth $50 now.

I would totally put it in my labels if I made instruments by appointment to some royalty. 😁

@emilwandel

2 жыл бұрын

An English label, when you are a Saxony Violinmaker. Maybe it was some kind of English workshop line. I would ask myself if it is real, I would expect the label to be in German or French.

9:38 Sudden bass drop is the shit. :Ρ

Hi, Olaf. I like your channel. May I ask a question please? I am looking for a new violin, and last week I tried a German violin was made by J.H.Z, it is NO.4009. It is around 6000AUD. I could saw some repaired of the back. Would you please give me some advice? Thank you so much for your time.

@AskOlaftheViolinmaker

2 жыл бұрын

It really depe on the repair... If it has a repaired back soundpost crack, you have to be super careful... also if the crack or repair is really visible, it probably wasn't well done.

@windalkaid7088

2 жыл бұрын

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thank you so much for your advise, Olaf.

I didn't know violin can be used as a clue bat back then :)

Yes it's repairable. That's not even a question. But is it worth it ? Time,money,value is the issue.

At that point, I think it would’ve been better to buy or build a new one.

It's not a dust ball....It's called a "tone ball"..... At least that's what they call it in the acoustic guitar world.

Why would the signed label of a German instrument be in English?

Its just a scratch. Lol 😆 🤣

Never, never sit on a violin...😩 but an opportunity to make a very interesting video 🙃

OUCH!!!!!!!

You are interested in old german violins? Have some french too.

Glad wrap = cling film to those outside the reach its marketing empire.

you need a 3D scanner and printer for your casts

Hahaha "don't try this at home"

Would that be called a "mothball?" Baaahahahahahahaha

Maybe I just can't stand bugs, but the second I saw bugs, I would have went outdoors to brush them out. Weren't you worried that the bug issue might spread into the studio workshop and other violins? I picture their eggs similar to tiny mushroom spores and would imagine hundreds drifting off. Yuck! Do moths or the larvae eat glue or wood fibers? Would you normally quarantine infested instruments or cases before letting them into the shop?

Oh wow, that's an ugly break. If I came upon it, yes I would have it repaired because of its history. If it was an equal quality modern violin made by an unknown group of people in a bigger shop in a certain unnamed Country, it would be firewood. This, btw, is why our instruments should live in climate controlled rooms.

are you sure? is worth repairing? just buy a new one.