What can we learn from the GREAT masters?

Hello my friends and welcome back to a new blog post!

Today we will continue the talk about the model (below you can find the video and HERE the blog post)

I make my own instruments and my instruments are not bench copies: which is an exact copy of every detail and a replicate the original violin, with all its scratches, dirt and varnish. 

As a matter of fact, with pictures you cannot see all those details, you can only get the entire picture and an idea about the sound characteristics (that are created because of the model)!

The same model made by different makers is immediately different and has different characteristics with each maker: this is the individual fingerprint that you as a maker leave on an instrument. 

So it comes naturally that every maker has to decide what details and antiquing techniques to use and to show on the final product! 

This is a great way to understand the great masters of the past: making a copy and working from the books and trying to understand why and how they made something such as a violin. 

Taking time to look at the instruments and taking care of all the small details is the beauty of this work and what I love about being a master. 

All the best from Cremona, 
Edgar Russ