Talks and articles

A feature of a number of classical cellos is that the fronts are wider than the backs, and the ribs flare outwards. The article examines this and suggests a way of achieving this when making a new instrument. Published in Issue 83 of the BVMA newsletter, spring 2016

Guadagnini cello ribs

From the stable to the workshop: investigating the use of saltpetre in violin primers. Talk given at the 20th anniversary conference of the British Violin Making Association, September 2015

Read here: Saltpetre-BVMA_10.10

Article written for the Autumn 2011 issue of the Newsletter of the British Violin Making Association describing a project to make cello modelled after Gasparo da Salo with a team of colleagues.

Read here: Glasgow Gasparo Cello Project 2011

Article written for the Autumn 2010 issue of the Newsletter of the British Violin Making Association with my colleague William Castle, describing a day working together on different models of scroll.

Read here: A Tale of Two Scrolls

Part 2:

Decorative patterns on the back. Article reproduced by permission from the Strad Magazine, August 2010

TradeSecretsAug2010

Part 1:

Purfling the edges. Article reproduced by permission from the Strad Magazine, June 2010

StradArticle_ 1604-2010-7-27

 

Transcript of lecture/demonstration given to the conference of the British Violin Making Association at Dartington, Devon in September 2008. It gives a detailed description of the theory and practice of steam-bending the spruce to make fronts for instruments.

Dartington talk transcript with pics

Article reproduced by permission from The Strad Magazine, October 2007

Trade Secrets Oct 07 high-res

Talk given at Lutherie 2006, an annual conference for violin makers held under the auspices of the Newark School of Violin Making. It covers aspects of making violas, with particular reference to the possibilities as regards size, string length and proportions, and some ideas about approaches to making good-sounding violas.

Transcript of talk to Lutherie 2006

Talk given at Viola Day for Teachers at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester in January 2004. It includes a discussion of the issues of size and string length for viola players and includes a chart of sizes and suitable strings for child-sized violas.

Transcript of talk to Chet’s viola day Jan 04