Boussu Inside Out - Exploring forgotten violin making practices
This channel shows videos of the reconstruction process of violin family instruments after unaltered originals by the 18th century maker Benoit Joseph Boussu. The replica instruments were built by Geerten Verberkmoes, employing techniques most likely used by Boussu and which differ significantly from the "Cremonese method". Subsequently, the replicas are being used by violinists Ann Cnop and Shiho Ono and cellist Mathilde Wolfs - later joined by viola player Benjamin Lescoat - to explore chamber music by Brussels court composers from the 18th century. Videos of such performances are included on this channel too.
Enjoy watching and listening!
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Thank you... I'm an aspiring luthier... Watching these help... Your work is beautiful. I hope mine will one day be beautiful.
Hello umiviolalefut1593, thanks so much for your kind comment! Good to hear that you enjoyed the videos, and lots of luck and fun for your own violin making. Best regards, Geerten
As a semi-retired luthier of guitars since 1969 I've enjoyed watching your videos. I never knew that any bowed instruments had neck to side joints like the Spanish guitar. Guess we are never too old to learn new information. Thank you.
Hello Andy, Thank you for your reply! Yes, this method was used a lot by European violin makers during the 17-19th century. It was nice to try it out for this project. Best regards, Geerten
Music and performance are great, but the masks are ridiculous.
Thanks for the kind comment about the music! This video was recorded in the middle of Covid-times, at a public art school (Conservatory Ghent). We had to wear masks according to the regulations of the school. And yeah, it is a document of that time....
This video is well done. Thanks.
Thank you, glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
thank you so much for this video , i was looking for some good ideas on putting my old fiddle back together , this shows exactly what I must do , merci mon frere .
Hi Michel, happy to hear that the video was helpful. Good luck with the work on your fiddle!! (BTW, does your fiddle have the same construction as the one in the video, so with a neck that protrudes into the soundbox?)
Hi Thank you , mine does not have the same as in your video but I like and prefer this design I dont think I wanna change my captain(my old violin), it is the clamping the back block first and side down one at a time in your video that helped me with my next step:o) but when I make one( my own violin) I will love your design the best built into the neck so elagant and LOVELY , it must give a better sound transfer .@@Boussu_Inside_Out
@@michelnagumaqmorton Great!! Good luck with the repair and with the new violin. Greetings from The Netherlands, Geerten
Thank you m, greetings from North Quebec Mountains @@Boussu_Inside_Out
Geen tuning van de bladen? No tuning of the blades?
Nee. Ik kopieerde een oud instrument (1750), en heb de bladdikten 1:1 gekopieerd. Van de bouwer (Boussu) analyseerde ik 27 violen, waarvan de bladen allemaal een identiek diktepatroon hebben. Van mijn 3 kopieen heb ik voor de bladen natuurlijk wel de kloptonen (modes 1, 2 en 5) genoteerd. Maar dus niet specifiek naar een bepaalde kloptoon toegewerkt. Dat zou immers omgekeerde wereld zijn. Meer info hier: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf
hello master, how do you paint the stripes black
The strips are walnut, they are dyed black (or actually very dark brown) by soaking them for several hours in a hot mixture of iron sulfate and oak galls.
I only skimmed your thesis, and I am neither historian nor luthier but, it seems to me that his second wife was the violin maker. I wonder what Marie Anne Jugier's father did as a trade. Just a thought.
Hi, thank you for your comment and interest in my research! The option you mention was considered too. But there are simply too many arguments against it. I will mention some (not all). Firstly, M.A. Jugier was coming from a lower class than Boussu, her father was a labourer. Given the fact that the first child of Boussu and his second wife Jugier was born out of wedlock, their forced marriage was not planned. I state in my thesis that she was probaly the care taker for the children of Boussu's first marriage. M.A. Jugier was much younger than Boussu, and from their marriage in 1744 until her death at the age of 41 in 1759, she was almost continuously pregnant. She died during giving birth to her last child. So, I suppose she did not have much time or energy to make violins in between her care for the children. Then, several Boussu instruments, in consistant style, are known from after 1759, the year Marie Anne Jugier died. So, she could not have made these. And there are several more reasons for her not to be the main violin maker of the workshop. But... as I mention also in my thesis, I do not rule out the possibility that she, or the family's children, helped in the workshop. During the years, I thought of this "female maker" option quite a lot. One of the jury members of my thesis mentioned it as well. However, we should not project our 21st century post modern views on equal man/woman roles to the 18th century, how much we want women to be emancipated now or then.. Gender roles were simply different then.
Not this maker but there are some theories that catherine guarneri would help in the workshop... To explain some inconsistencies. And they had no children. I wouldn't be surprised if some did help in different degrees... Especially the poorer the family. But many households went under the heads name because that was the name with the highest prestigieux.. Also if it were a woman... Their work wouldn't sell well in that era... Woman had to fit into social norms... so if it were me I would use my husband's name as an alias. Now days I'm happy to put my name on my violins!!! But he also brought up children as a hinderment to some... Yes I can second that. I am the mother of 7... And it is so hard to balance children and violins. I deffinantly don't make as many as I could if I worked full time.
@@umiviolalefut1593 You are right about Boussu's wife and children helping in the business... please read page 294 of my thesis, where I contemplate on this theory. You can find the thesis (in English) here: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf Have a nice day!
I will happily read it!... In fact I will probably print and keep in my own records. As a violist... I am captivated by the brescian instruments... Who methods also differed from the cremonese process.
@@umiviolalefut1593 Thank you for your interest in my thesis, I hope you will enjoy reading it. Yes the Brescian instruments are really special, but in style and regarding the way we think they were made. Have you ever played one? I went to see an exhibition of Brescian instruments in Brescia, I guess around 2007. Really inpressive! Have a nice day
Magnificent instrument. I like the arching and the varnish colour as well as many other details not commonly seen.
Thanks a lot Charles, for your kind reply. I'm happy with your comment, but I guess we should thank Boussu for designing these extraordinary isntruments in the first place!!
I can‘t see anything here that is lost or forgotten 🤷♂️ which particular aspect are you concerned that other makers are not using?
Thank you for you insightful comment. Please read my PhD thesis on these instruments here: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf After you're done, please comment back here!
I do like the way you have made the head block and the neck from a single piece of wood.
Thanks you for your message. Yes, that was one of the techniques I wanted to try out with this project!
What is the name of the method you’re using for the neck? I’ve never seen that before
Hello Hunter, thanks for your comment. The method of neck attachment as shown in the videos is sometimes referred to as the "through-neck" method. It was one of the several ways for putting the neck to the body, as used in earlier violin making. Also used in Spanish (classical) guitar construction! Best regards, Geerten
I am curious as to what species the top is and how you obtained the vertical grain plank.
Hi Gary, the top plate is made from European spruce, bought from a tonewood supplier in Mittenwald (Germany).
Красивая работа! Сегодня существует много талантливых мастеров по изготовлению уникальных по красоте и звучанию скрипок. Великие творения Антонио Страдивари для многих являются образцом достижения творческого мастерства! Было бы правильно создать Фонд Антонио Страдивари для выявления и поддержки талантливых мастеров и школ! Главный лозунг - музыка и инструменты неотделимы!
Thank you!
Cutting a Purfling channel should be an Olympic sport!
Hi Charles, yes it takes some patience and practice to do it well (-: Thanks for your nice comment!
Love this. What specific tools are you using to shape the back? I see finger planes but wondered the size and brands as well. I like that you just show the process.
Hello again Charles. Some of my planes are self-made, others were ordered (in a batch of 5 from different sizes) on ebay, from a supplier in China. Didn't cost a lot, and work as well as expensive ones (-; Best regards, Geerten
Thanks for the reply. I have seen these planes and wondered about the blade steel quality. Softer steel isn’t necessarily a terrible thing depending on application.are these the planes you use? @@Boussu_Inside_Out
@@charlesblithfield6182 Haven't experienced any problems with the blades that came with the Chinese planes. Pretty good steel. Sometimes I (temporarily) replace a blade by a toothed one, purchased from Dictum. BTW, you can make your own plane blades from old large/thick discarded saw blades. Good luck!
That neck joint reminds me of a Spanish method of attaching the sides of a (classical/flamenco) guitar to the base of neck, rather than attaching the neck to the body, which is still in fairly common use among luthiers handmaking guitars. Interesting to see it on a violin!
Yeah, you're right, Spanish guitars are still made like this! Violins no longer (-:
Fantastic!!! Is there a book that follows this series?
Hi Fred, thanks for your kind comment. You can read my PhD-thesis on this research here: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf Kind regards, Geerten
Linda o seu trabalho......
Hi Claudio, thank you for your kind comment! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video! Best regards, Geerten
what part of this is the "lost" practices?
Please read my PhD thesis: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf
My complete admiration for your job, sir.
Thank you very much, Mallorga, good to hear you enjoyed the video!
I can make a violin but why bother?? I repair and recarve old Mittenwald violins and make them better. I can buy a violin with excellent wood for much less than the wood alone would cost me. I can get a Mittenwald violin for less one hundred dollars and turn it into a easy $1,000 violin.
Well done!
Very relaxing to watch. 🙂 Beautiful and nice sounding violin. 👍Bravo 👏 Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Carlos, happy to hear you enjoyed the videos!
I really don't see where the "lost practices" are.
Hi, thanks for your comment. Please watch the whole series of violin making videos on this channel, and then read my PhD thesis on this topic: geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf Then compare the methods I explored to present-day mainstream violin making. After you've done this, please comment back on this channel.
Que hermoso violín quiero saber cuánto ese violín por favor respuesta
Dear Miguel, thank you for your reply and interest in my instruments. Please send me an email, directed to: [email protected] Please include your full name and further contact info. Best regards, Geerten Verberkmoes
where do you buy that saw and blades for sawing the scroll?
Hi,thanks for your comment, I bought the saw from DICTUM tools (Germany), and the saw is called Handiwork Microsaw. Purchased it a long time ago, not sure if they still sell the same model
You did not show how to close up the veneer on the end. Do we just slap a piece of veneer over it??
Hi, thanks for your comment. If you mean the terminal end of the fingerboard: there is no veneer on that. I just stained the underlying spruce core end grain with black ink (same as was done on the original instrument that I copied).
My sugar maple tonewood does not carve that easily. It was cut 100 years ago and aged indoors.
North American sugar maple is much harder than the European maple I use. Furthermore, the age and storage conditions may have hardened your wood even more. Just sharpen your tools and you'll be able to work it!
Why are you using a veneer fingerboard??
Why not (-: These instruments are copies of 18th-century instruments. In that period, it was common for fingerboards to use ebony (or pear) veneer over a softwood core.
This is just click bait nonsense. This is one way of cutting shaping and glueing wood together and call it a violin which is not ' lost' at all . Shaping wood for a reason is not explained and measuring up an old violin achieves nothing .
vous êtes extra
Thank you Harakat, that's nice to hear! Nice that you enjoyed the channel! Have a great day!!
very nice work, although, I can't help but be a bit disappointed that it is a not a modern violin because I'm quite fond of our 19th and 20th century repertoire so it's not really the kind of instrument I would be interested in. But I'm sure that whoever is playing this beautiful instrument now is very happy with it.
Yes, one has to make choices in life (-: Tip: there a plenty of videos on YT showing how to make a "modern" violin! Good luck, Geerten
Hi , When you are preparing your veneers for purfling why do you heat then in a pan and what is the liquid you heat them in ? Thanks so much . Ken
Hello Kendy, thank you for your message and interest in the channel! The veneers are walnut (as you probably had seen). I want to darken them, but not pitch-black. In the original (18th century) instruments I copied, the staining wasn't fully through and more brown-grey than black. You can control the degree of staining by the time of exposure. A few hours gives light darkening, a whole night gives black. It is not a bad idea to do some experimentation before working on the real strips (that's what I did to decide the degree of darkening). So, this is the procedure: 1) Put the veneer in hot water (close to boiling), together with crushed oak gals. 2) Let this soak for a couple of hours, even a whole night. The walnut takes up the tannine from the gals. Heat moderately. 3) Take the veneers out of the brew, and quickly rinse with clean water. 4) Refill the pan with hot water, and add two spoon of ironsulphate . Now add the veneer. Let this soak for as long as suitable for the preferred darkening. Again, heat moderately. 5) When done, thoroughly rinse the strips multiple times with clean water, to get rid of all the excess chemicals. Leave them in the clean water for a few hours. You can monitor this by watching any black stain still coming into the water. After this, leave to dry. That's it I guess. Good luck! Are you a maker? Best regards, Geerten
Hello again Kendy, thanks for you second reply (which for some reason related to YT cannot see back in this video thread). But having read it, I wish you good luck in making the instruments that you make for your learning process. Great that you make your own varnish and purfling. A tip for the purfling: I use standard (0.6 mm) veneer, and made a scraper device based on a Stanley plane blade holder, with which the veneer strips can be accurately scraped to the right thickness (0.3-0.4 mm). The device is also depicted in Weisshaar's book on violin restoration. Good luck and thanks again for your interest!
Mmmm.. by adding this reply, I deleted the first one...
Thank you, merci beaucoup,very helpful,great skills taught.
Thank you Derrick, for your kind words, good to hear that the videos were of help. Kind regards from the Netherlands, Geerten
or make your own style
LOL, I also do: kzread.info/dash/bejne/lImqzo-IXbOYc7Q.html Cheers!
Your chisel skill is incredible!
Wow, thanks so much for this very kind comment, you made my day!
كیف تكبس الالواح بهاذا البساطه ؟ الیس قبل الكبس او الالتحام اي قبل الغراء ....لازم یكون اللوحتین یسد الضوء ولایدخل الضوء بینهما قبل الغراء والكبس ...ارید الجواب من فضلك ....لان هاذا ؟حیرني كل اساتذه الاروبیین یلتحمون الخشب بالغراء الحیواني ....بكل بساطه ....؟؟؟ 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Karzan, thanks for your comment, for which I used Google translate to translate from Arabic. I hope I understood well tho... In order to glue the two panels well, you have to make sure that you plane them very well, so they fit without any gap or rocking. This needs practice. Check with a very straight ruler, and also check if the plane on the wood is not "twisted" (you can check with two sticks, placed perpendicular at each end of the plane to be examined, and then looking over the two sticks to see if they parallel). You can also dry fit the two panels and see and feel if the fit is tight. At first it takes you a whole day, then half a day and finally 30 minutes. When the glue is applied, and the two parts are rubbed together, they are holding already really strong. Some people don't even use clamps, but I do. Good luck, just try it yourself and you'll learn quickly. Thank you.
hey! where can i get the notes? im trying to find them on internet but no results.. can you pls tell me where to get them? the recording is so good tho
That’s a baroque bow. It looked like it was set up normally though.
Hi KillerSugar, Yes, that's a Baroque bow. The setup is quite close to what is normally called "Baroque" (gut strings, wedged fingerboard, short and low bass bar, Baroque style tailpiece with gut loop). These elements were copied directly from the original example instrument (1750, Boussu). The neck and fingerboard are not as fat as on early Baroque violins, actually quite close to modern shape. The bridge is also transitional, since 1750 is at the end of the Baroque going into the Classical period. Newer style bridges came into use then. But please note that the so-called Baroque period itself was 150 years long, and spread through the whole of Europe. This means that within this period, we see a lot of local and chronological variety. Hope this helps, Geerten
the construction method reminds me of a classical guitar construction a bit, definitely different than the inner mold methods I've seen often, excellent series so far
Hello cpage86! Thanks for your kind comment, glald to hear you like the videos. Yes, you're right, the construction is rather similar to classical guitar making (although there are differences too, as a classical guitar is built up from the belly). The aim of my project was to explore this method, that is no longer used by present-day makers.. It was nice to work this way, and made me realise that a violin can be made in many ways. Are you a guitar maker? Best regards, Geerten
That is pretty damn cool. You have that violin in cad or some graphics program, printed out a template, and are making an exact copy, as close as is possible by hand. I watched the whole thing already (going backwards ... sorry). But, I'm really inspired. I don't think I could or would do it your way ... but, you never know. I'm too old, and just want a good sounding instrument. But, your work is inspiring to say the least. I'm just an amateur violinist (or musician, as I play a lot of instruments, and usually play bass when it comes to gigging - but was concert master of our local orchestra too - which is really saying I'm a bigger fish in a small pond ... heh heh ... ) and I've done a bunch of repairs and messed with building (inside mold). Time to retire from engineering, and start building some fiddles ...
Hi again Benny, good to hear you became inspired by the videos. Please pick up making again, and make some nice violins. You can do it! The learning curve is steep, so your second one will be way better than the first. As a musicians, you have a huge benefit for judging your creations. And yes, use a standard making method, not the one shown in my videos (-: That was for research purposes only! But I'm glad you enjoyed watching! Good luck and it was nice to read your comments. All best, Geerten
Man, so interesting. Great work! No inside or outside mold. Glue ribs, etc. to blocks on back. The neck goes through to the top block, like a classical guitar. The linings are trimmed short of the blocks. Everything needs to be so precision! Especially the neck.
Cool, thanks!
Where did you go to school? Or, who did you apprentice with?
I went to school in Belgium, first at CMB Puurs and later at the Conservatory in Ghent, where there is a program for historical instrument making.
Also, the laminated fingerboard was super cool! Such beautiful work!
Thank you so much!
Well, that was worth the time watching! Thanks! The fiddle and viola don't have much bass, pretty thin sounding. The cello sounded pretty good. I know everything is new, and needs some playing in. And, the playing was excellent! All in all a really beautiful job! I've never seen anyone make a bridge like that. And the bone nut really pops! Very cool! When you were tuning up for the first time, you were cross tuning g to g, and I got all excited to see some baroque music played cross tuned. But, then the girl tuned standard ... oh well ... heh heh.
Please check some of the later videos at my channel where the ensemble plays. After some time and some adjustments, the violins opened up and the sound became at bit fuller. But remember, these are instruments with quite thick top plate, plus with gut strings. So, a sound is expected that is different from a modern violin. Here is a recording made after the violins were played in: kzread.info/dash/bejne/h6uYtJiwdsnVnps.html I hope you can hear the difference
That was fun watching you glue the top on. Really nice work!
Thanks again!
What is the little plant stem that you rub on the instrument and why . Thank you .
Hi Kendy, it horsetail plant, and when dried, it acts as a kind of abrasive. Baroque sandpaper so to say (-: Best regards, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Thankyou so much for replying . I have just started making stringed instruments and I have studied your videos at length . They have been very helpful
@@kendyboston4225 Good luck with your building project! Please notice that some of the methods shown in my videos are not the "normal" way to make violins nowadays. Rather, it is an exploration of certain methods that were used in the past. That said, it can always help to take notice of things left and right of the main road. Enjoy making and thank you for your interest in my channel!
Wooow 👏👏👏👏
Thank you!
Mohon maaf perkenalkan saya dari Indonesia ...apakah saya boleh meminta ukuran detail cello mulai dari body neck scrol dan ketebalan terimakasih
Hi, there are many detailed measurements in an instruments, so it's not easy to give them all in a single reply. But basic measurements are: Back length: 753 mm Back widths (upper/middle/lower): 336/219/429 mm Scroll width: 60.3 mm Rib heigth (at neck/at bottom): 114/114 mm This is all I can supply, hope it helps! Best regards, Geerten
Great set of videos ! I`ve made a few cigar box style guitars , making the boxes also . I`ve also made a PRS style semi hollow Vela style guitar and a skateboard guitar . they all came out pretty well and sound very good ! I love working with old hand tools as much as possible , so I admire your work very much !! I watched a video today of a 12 yr. old girl called Canen doing Ain`t No Sunshine When She`s Gone and there was a really nice solo by a guy playing a well worn cello and it gave me the chills hearing it !! So after hearing that and watching you r work , I`m going to try making one for myself. I`m sure it won`t be easy but being retired , I have plenty of time !! Thanks for your videos !!! Buddy Milton
Hello Peggy, thanks for your kind comment, and nice to hear that you made a number of instruments yourself. With all this experience, it's a great next step to make a cello. Please note that the methods shown in my videos were performed for the sake of historical research, and that modern makers use somewhat different steps. For your cello, I would recomment to use the modern way. Good luck with the cello project! Best regards for the Netherlands, Geerten