Violin Forum/Message Board

John Cadd · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject: Belly Longways Curve.

There is some debate about the original shape of the Belly long curve and I noticed a new angle on this subject last week. One of the Violin Wood sites recommends making bellies with a piece of spruce with a curve already in it.The belly wood will split along it`s length parrallel to the way it grew. This would retain more continuous fibres and add some stiffness and would also confuse anyone trying to analyse it`s final shape.That is basically what was being said in the wood site. If you make a wooden boat or a curved bat to hit a ball ( eg Hurling ) you look for a piece of wood where the grain follows the desired curve. It sounds like a reasonable idea and the wood site tells us it makes a better violin tone. I remember one photo of a venerable lady maker looking to split the wood along the belly as she shaped it . You need good nerves to treat wood like that.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:33 pm Post subject:

Sounds like someone's got some defective wood they're trying to dump.
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John Cadd · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:17 am Post subject:

I could not find the site again but I know he lives in Bosnia. It may link up with the "barrel "shape used by Stradivarius. That would be with straight fibres and no bend.

Dave Chandler · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject: Curved wood

I've read similar said about selecting spruce to use for bass bars, but this sounds pretty extreme, if even possible. Are you sure they weren't speaking about selecting spruce for bass bars?
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John Cadd · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:19 am Post subject:

No this was for the bellies. I am always amazed how sites disapear next day when I want to get at them.

L P Reedy · Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:57 pm Post subject:

Either Michael is right and this is so much BS or they are trying to sell preformed bent tops.