Violin Forum/Message Board

[Michael Darnton]

Say, wouldn't it be a great idea if someone took a piece of stone, made it into a round shape and punched a hole in it? Then you could string two of them on a stick, put them under a board and put things on it and pull it around?

Just bringing in some radical new ideas here. . . .

[John Cadd]

On the other hand -------Why are people so angry here?Why is Mr Darnton (a moderator) behaving like a Troll?Fair comment I would say.
Sarcasm is Trolling I believe.
Form an orderly queue for the anger management .It`s a twelve step program.

[Andres Sender]

Your insistence on finding the problem outside yourself is distorting your thinking. No one’s angry. Michael’s whimsical allusion to re-inventing the wheel was ironical, but lacked the cutting, wounding intent of sarcasm. As to trolls, they are people who come into a forum and by their behavior try to incite conflict. Sarcasm does not a Troll make. So far your last post is the closest thing to Trolling I’ve seen in this thread.

[Michael Darnton]

I'm not a moderator. But I am frustrated at the condescending tone of some recent offerings from people who know all about building violins without having made them, and are anxious to tell those of up who make them what we should be doing to do it right, without knowing much about what violin makers already know, and discuss amongst themselves. It's as if 400 years of violin making history and lore is new and unknown, and their gift to us.

[Mat Roop]

I do believe that the experts on this forum, who have collectively made thousands of violins, have the knowledge we amateurs seek so desperately. Their knowledge that they share freely is their gift to us... let us appreciate the offering and express our gratitude. Without this forum and the real experts (like Michael and Andres in this thread) most of us would be lost in the woods and likely never learn the pleasure of violin history, making and restoration.
I don't post often... but I do read most of it, and I read all of Michaels words!
Thanks Michael, thanks Andres and thanks to all the many other expert makers... your advice is priceless! (and priceless does not mean cheap!)
all the best, Mat

[Andres Sender]

Mat I very much appreciate your kindness in including me in your comment but I am not an expert and am embarrassed to be named in the same breath as Michael, whose knowledge is solidly based in a great deal of first hand experience.

I'm glad to think that I may have managed to organize what I've learned from Michael, a few others, and my own comparatively limited experiences well enough to avoid making a mess of things when I open my mouth, but please don't mistake that for expertise.

[John Cadd]

For Matt Roop I accept what you say and must apologise for any offense given.You are right in mentioning the value to many far flung makers.The internet is peculiar in the way complete strangers can write to each other without the personal signals and hints that a face to face conversation can provide.Sometimes a word is chosen to enliven the sentence and comes across far stronger than intended .
These posts ,hopefully, will be of great benefit to makers as much as traditional book sources,so any corrections to my wrong ideas will be there for all to see.
I think the best way to "contribute" would be to ask a straight question and let the answer come back without putting my foot in it.Something for me to remember.