Kolodziej Violins: Fittings

6/1/11

Fittings

One of the most deceptive parts of setting up a newly repaired violin is how much material needs to be removed from blank fittings. The picture to the right shows the before and after on some parts. Pegs and endpins need to be shaved down to size, drilled through to accept the string, cut to length and lightly burnished. The bridge needs to be thinned and the feet fit exactly to the arching, and finally adjusted for tonality. Nuts need to be heavily thinned and groved for the strings and planed to fit in the notch above the fingerboard. the same goes for the saddle. Everything needs to be lubricated with either graphite or dry soap.

The worst part is this is the last step before you can first hear what a Fiddle is going to sound like, so you want to rush but this is one of the most finicky stages of set up and if you rush you will just have to do it again.

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My Philosophy on Fiddles

I believe that the violin is an instrument that stands alone in it's versatility, history, and accessibility. Its application in music is nearly universal.

My Philosophy is that nearly any fiddle can be worth playing. I think that the mystique of the violin can seduce anyone and it is in part this fact that leads many luthiers to utter the phrase: " I could fix it but the repair would cost more than the fiddle is worth." In my opinion this is rarely the case, and a very sad state of affairs. My own Violin that I play joyfully every day had this phrase uttered in reference to it. I shudder to think of other fiddles that sound as sweet as mine ending up in a dumpster or being poorly repaired by an uneducated repair person.

I find value in an instrument through its ease of play, sound output, and to the least extent its prominence. With this idea in mind, I repair and assign a price to these repairs on a basis of the potential of the violin as a tool to make music. That is what I pride myself on and that is the type of musician I truly appreciate.

I love to meet beginners. This is the most difficult time with the violin as it can seem viciously unforgiving at first. Much of this is due to beginners getting their hands on a violin that is terribly set up. The changes in playability that come with a correct and custom set up are unbelievable. Intonation, fingering, bowing, speed, volume control, tuning, and playing comfort can all be tweaked through a correct setup.

Part of this difficulty for fledgling fiddlers can be attributed to using standardized measurements rather than customizing for the individual. It is remarkable how sophisticated a beginning fiddler can actually be. Much of this sophistication is overlooked as it is unknown, untested, and often beginners lack the language to describe what they need or what they naturally require. With this in mind I encourage the beginner to try as many violins as possible! And get a personalized set up!