violin making/acoustical

Using Acoustics (wood frequencies) to make the final adjustments when building a violin family stringed instrument, for better sound!

...When the maker is shaping the bass bar on the inside of the top plate, how can he be sure is it too neither too thick or too thin?
...When shaping the plates of the violin, how do I know when I have reduced the plate thickness just the optimum amount?
...For that elusive pleasing tone, just what frequency should the plates be anyway?
...How do I fine tune (shape) the fingerboard so that all the notes are even?
...When I am shaving down tuning pegs, how small should I make them?

...These are just a few of the questions an instrument maker must ask himself at many stages in the development of a violin family instrument. The maker who does not know the technique of the final shaping of the various wood components using acoustics (tap tones), must rely instead on careful copying of a successful famous violin. While this approach will produce a successful instrument if all the wood components are identical to the original wood used in making the famous instrument being copied; the wonderful sound we all long to produce is dependent on numerous precise tonal relationships and even 'close' will not truly satisfy. The tone variation in seemingly identical pieces of wood can be as much as a full octave, so some scientific method must be used to finally shape each individual piece of the violin so that it matches the sound requirement for that particular part.

...Based on my experience and research (so far), I offer this list which I feel are important for producing an excellent tone (and power); all of these must be in a specific acoustical (tone or frequency) relationship with certain other parts of the instrument. Click on the topic below to be directed for detailed information: