Violin Forum/Message Board

[catbrain]

a few years ago I bought a violin from goodwill. they had 5 or 6 of them-- they said they were public school ones that wee broken. I selected the best looking one-- a carl robelli. I have seen some of those that were very nice instruments. however I could tell this was a cheaper student model. But for 15$--- i couildnt go too far wrong. Had a pretty nice sound-- except it had a horrible buzzing going on from inside. That was 4 years ago - just got around to steaming the top off. Once I got the top off---- it looked like the bass bar just about fell off. It also looked like it didnt match the top's contour very well. I had guessed that a lining had broken loose- but I may have been a loose bar.

Once I got in there I notice that the linings and bar and corner blocks are glued in with some kind of white rubbery adhesive. It looks like white latex caulking.
Probably not latex because it would have hardened after this long in there.
could be white silicone caulk.

My theory is that they have kids making the low quality models in the chinese factory. like a couple hundred at desks. They dont want to bother having the low skilled kids try to fit things precisely - so they accept poor (or worse) fit up and try to make up for it using a thick gap filling rubbery adhesive.

i saw that most of the linings on the top side were fractured from being being bent without enough heat or water - or perhaps from using a type of wood that does not steam well. several were all most loose too. So I am replacing the upper ones. The sides had two similar splits so I am repairing them too. The plates look OK structurally other than the bar being dangley loose. Amazingly- it had a pretty OK sound despite all that. The linings were also not tucked behind the blocks or just a slight hint. That will be fixed when the new linings go in.

i once played a 900$ robelli in sam ashe that was quite fantastic. That one must have been made in the boss's office ! Not by the high school kids.
i regret not buying it---- but didnt have the dough for it.

Anyone else run across this kind of glue before ?

Tim

[John Cadd]

What tests did you try on the glue? Did water or steam affect it? I found cold hide glue a nuisance but steam turns it white and it can be scraped off like elastic .
Vinegar is another one that weakens some glue. If I was a chemist I would have an arsenal of liquids to attack strange glues . The extreme would be to learn Chinese and write to them. (A bit of comic relief for you there ).
But the Chinese are developing credibility faster than people think .

[catbrain]

it looked like white latex/silicone mix as far as appearance and elasticity.
It was pretty stretchy---- looked like glue for 3 graders in violin making class....

I guess i could write to who ever does Sam Ashe warranty work
( If there even is such a thing....)

T