230 Year old Violin Restoration (Transformation) - F-hole Crack!!

[@albertsystem1]

I'd love to see an Olaf biographical video. His dad, apprenticeships, mentors, skills as they're acquired, learning experiences, memorable projects, successes, failures. It's a great multi generation, multi continent story that would be very interesting. Because he's so personable and nonchalant, I think some viewers get the impression that they can do this work, too, when surely they cannot.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

True... It did take me over 35 years to get to this point, but I did most of my training in the first 8 years. I will think about how I can best put something together and put it in my " future film" list... Thank you for the suggestion.

[@mz935]

I was thinking the same thing Irving Kaufman!

[@robertl6770]

Im not sure skill is the word. A monkey can glue blocks to wood. Not bashing but I agree. With no knowledge to how or why things are done the way they are done a botched repair isn't fixing it to playable status. That said I have a genuine reproduction stradivarius made in Germany sometime after 1900 but before 1940 that I am seriously considering learning to fix. Your videos have helped tremendously. I'm less intimidated by the thought of opening my great grandmother's strad.

[@None_of_your_business666]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker wir freuen uns!

[@LaskMaestro]

In awe of your creative ways to resurrect a puece if history. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@MikkoRantalainen]

Being proud of what you do and always trying to improve things is getting so rare these days. Great to see somebody still doing real work without shortcuts!

[@elissahunt]

It's so wonderful this violin found its way to an expert surgeon instead of being put down. Kudos to the owner for rescuing it, and of course to Olaf for making all the repairs. Perhaps the violin will now have another 230 years of life!

[@therealme613]

The original craftsman of that beautiful instrument will live on as long as people like you continue to appreciate music!! 👍

[@Rosahonung]

love the staning of the wood, looks awesome

[@Marguerite-Rouge]

This repair is truly astonishing ! We can't even see there was a crack !

[@wade4452]

Completely wonderful!

[@RevivoViolins]

Your work is amazing and memorizing, thank you for sharing all your talents. One thing I would love to see, and I feel is missing, is the reaction from clients. It would be so great to hear their first sight impressions, and reactions, even if their face is not on camera. Thank you for considering and I look forward to watching more of your violin repairs, coffee drinking, dad jokes, and t-shirt choices. Cheers! John

[@oralkaan]

I LOVE this type of content Olaf. You could really inspire and teach a whole bloom of luthiers because of it. Keep up letting us look into the luthier world through work

[@edda_eh1964]

That’s an impressive restoration. Will all these patches have any impact on the sound of the instrument?

[@nupsiwulst9946]

i wonder, too...?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Not really... If you end up with way too many cleats, it can add to the weight of the instrument and could impact the sound... so it's important to keep them as minimal as possible.

[@joelhoffman8277]

So, if you run across a quality antique instrument with too many cleats, what can you do?

[@None_of_your_business666]

This is a beautiful instrument

[@GaryGP40]

Master Olaf! You do amazing work! Thank you for sharing!

[@Tostra1997]

Amazing video! Please don't hesitate to go in depth with repairs another time, I absolutely loved watching this :-D

[@alanbarkworth2829]

Great to see you again, you did a new scroll & sound post crack on my Joseph Kloz about 25 yrs ago ! Love your work...Alan Barkworth. 🎻 collector.

[@SRoyce87]

Damn that is so mighty impressive restoration work. I just love these videos a bunch! Thank you for sharing

[@cryptominingsauce4043]

WOW! It lives and sings once again!!!

[@trevorpinnocky]

Dude. that's insanely good. as a long time player, I really appreciate the thoroughness and quality of your repair work. Really lovely... I'm always amazed how a good repair can add so many people without changing the weight and contour of the top which would obviously change the way the top moves and the sound produced.

[@jaype5]

this violin is so unique

[@davidhuckaby832]

Olaf, you are a true artist. A marical worker. The violin turned out beautiful.

[@danayang7712]

Sooo shiny and beautiful! Damn you're a wizard! 🤩🤩

[@bloodbaymare]

The violin looks so gorgeous all repaired and polished. It must feel so satisfying to see the finished result with the violin looking as it should. On another note, do you ever go into what a person would pay for that kind of repair work? Since I started watching your videos, I've started to wonder if it would be feasible to have an old family violin repaired that was given to me in pretty terrible shape. It has a few cracks that need repaired. It's not a valuable instrument, but it does have sentimental value, and I'd love to get it restored so I can play it again for my husband's grandmother. It belonged to her father.

[@lrstaf6]

I really love the touch up job that you did on this instrument. I have watched many repair videos on violins, but your touch up is the best. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

[@mellissadalby1402]

As with the violin that looked like a Dingo ate it, with this restoration I can't believe it is the same violin (even though I know it is). I must say that it is much easier for me to sit on my couch and watch you work than it is for you to do the work, but your skill is inspiring and the joy in your work makes it fun to watch. Most important for me is by watching your channel, I continue to learn more about what is the ture essence of the violin.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

At what point is it not worth it to repair an old violin that used to be valuable? Do luthiers make new tops instead of putting glue all over an old one?

[@nskimharris]

@@nickiemcnichols5397 I also have been wondering this. Also, how come I found white glue on a neck that said 18 ninety something?

[@adelaidefoster7320]

right on time! I just got a 2nd, 3rd or more hand violin from a luthier and can now feel better about the tiny repaired cracks around my 150 years old violin! (my first btw! :))

[@emmanuelmantzios]

Awesome work olaf, the violin looks amazing! Thank you for sharing your work once again.🙏

[@edgarrondonmrrero9022]

OMG come back to be played baby. awesome job olaf.

[@stephendorsey9056]

I wish I could play that GORGEOUS instrument so bad!!!

[@bigbossmateusd.santos1774]

What a beautiful violin!! I loved it

[@MrBanzoid]

Amazing craftsmanship Olaf, and a beautiful result. Thank you.

[@leodebrouwer7282]

i am only a hobby fluteplayer , but I enjoy your very intersting work. Thanks a lot, you make every time my day with a big smile.......

[@kathysviolindiaryadultbegi3378]

Museum quality comes to mind. Your work area has jars and tools that are treasures. Thank you for the view, very meaningful.

[@theblondeone8426]

thats a better crack repair then on my instrument! also - please make video of customers reacting to watching these repairs😅

[@jbyork]

Opening the clamps with the single-handed swing is a pro move! Awesome video!

[@RolandHutchinson]

It's not a pro move unless you can do it without hitting anything!!! (Don't ask me how I know.)

[@malcolmmctaggart5245]

Would be nice to see some customer reactions to the repairs. Am enjoying watching how it should be done.😁

[@theblondeone8426]

or some customer reactions to watching the repairs 😂

[@rebekahlee7360]

The before and after is really striking. I kinda teared up seeing the end result. It's just really beautiful!

[@RiverSiege]

Amazing!

[@michaelblaney4461]

That top is practically all glue with all those cracks and cleats. Is there ever been a time when a entire new top has to be made?

[@michelevolz7769]

Love the restoration vids

[@michaeldavis4880]

That is an incredible job. Absolutely beautiful. I am sure that the owner will be thrilled. I have an 1817 Salzard that needs repaired and restored.

[@TomLeg]

Beautiful!

[@michaelhillhouse3751]

Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for sharing Olaf!

[@WeedMIC]

Awesome job. U r a real artist.

[@HenJack-vl5cb]

This video was a treat!Thank you!

[@nupsiwulst9946]

this is immensely fascinating! wow, thank you Olaf for giving us a peek into your shop (once more)! 🤩😍

[@alexpotterhead4539]

I find it so amazing how you can fix instruments! There are so many factors at hand that you have to account for and everything counts. I admire and appreciate all your work :)

[@gabrielefugazzi]

Olaf, i really enjoyed your video. You're great

[@StidhamFamilygospel]

Definitely an incredibly repair Olaf. You should consider doing this for a living 🥸 Todd

[@samueldemello]

Wonderful!! Bravo!

[@lotsabirds]

Brilliant!

[@donaldmak299]

That's so amazing.

[@SculptyWorks]

It came out beautiful! ❤

[@diegoguerra8736]

Awesome work

[@michaelnancyamsden7410]

Very interesting time lapse process.

[@michael7v6]

That editing!

[@timothymallon]

I would love to study under someone like you and become a luthier. I have always wanted to be one, since I was a teenager. I do repair instruments here and there, but nothing like the volume you do. Mostly for friends and cheap instruments I find at thrift stores

[@reallyoldtom9352]

Olaf I love your channel. I'm in Arizona . Retired and getting into violin restoration . The idea is to buy up all the violin projects I can afford from eBay then try to make one out of two or three. I think I'll be calling my new enterprise " Maid o' varius " violins. Pun intended . Wish me luck !

[@michaelwhisman]

Olaf sounds like he is showing his best friend how to do a repair. Very interesting guy.

[@yngveskarphedinssons]

Has there been a time where you had to put a whole new top?

[@WeilunP]

Mr. Olaffander!! Can you please just tell me secretly whether you are a wizard or not? Are there wands hidden inside the violins you made or fixed? I feel like everything you did is so magical!!

[@lindacowles756]

6:17 Wow! Van Gogh "Cafe' Terrace at Night"! I've got a "Starry Night" mug.

[@toddwalker3104]

creative use of sound post! question: When I must make a new sound post, and the old one is lost, how best to measure for length??

[@reinaldoiturrino1853]

Thank you , I enjoyed your work I see that you build them . But do you sell them . I’d be interested in some prices

[@picksalot1]

Interesting to see you work and the care involved in the restoration. The top and back have some large dark areas. Is that just aged varnish, or were they cased by something else?

[@uweschollmeyer9409]

That was „super interesting“ (to use ohne of your favourite phrases). Thank you for this detailed video on the repair process. However, I would still make a suggestion: From time to time you hold some interesting detail into the camera just to take it away within the same second. Like the Klotz label or the mould etc. I know that many people on KZbin are used to quick cuts and lots of things going on at the same time. But for your profession I‘d rather prefer a different style. So could you just take a little more time when you hold something into the camera? Greetings from good old Germany.

[@thomasdalton1508]

I've often wondered why you always have so many instruments lying around - now I see how much time you have to spend waiting for things to dry, it makes sense that you would have a lot of projects on the go at once. Is it normal for violins that age to have picked up a lot of damage or has that one been unfortunate?

[@RolandHutchinson]

Let's just say it is not abnormal. Some old instruments are in pristine or near-pristine condition, some have a few repairs, some like this one have numerous repairs. Most have in addition been altered from their original state in one or more ways that cannot be called repairs.

[@billyt8868]

wow…..

[@MalushJ]

this makes me wanna fly to Australia and buy a violin from you. I don't even know how to play one..

[@martinmako6566]

Hey, how do you remove top plate from violin, simply cut with thin knife or something more specific? I've bough one old violin to play with tuning it and restore and I've cut it off, but it destroyed some parts of edge. Another thing - what do you think about hardening of surface with some hard lack - and what do you think about lacquering interior body of violin? and why it is barely done, if ever? Thanks

[@sunshine-nz9iw]

I absolutely didn't expect that great of a finishing look! I recently came across a dirty and a little tattered stradivarius german copy from 1893 made by Wilhelm E. Martin and a bow that matches his style, but I think says Corelli on it. Now I'm too afraid to touch it because I didn't expect such a rich history from a strad copy. I will definitely take it into a shop as soon as I can. Do you know of good websites when searching for a bow's origin? Also, I think a video about the history of the Luthier would be awesome and very educational for people in my shoes that come across old violins and are very interested in their great history.

[@gngeannakakes]

Very interesting work. About how much would a repair like this cost?

[@ghlscitel6714]

2 weeks work with approximately 5 full man days - thats not cheap. And it is done so well! I hope the violinist will survive.

[@asloii_1749]

10:10 god this reminds me of the dentist lol

[@wadesummers4102]

I'm with you...not much happens until the second cup of coffee is consumed! I'm a guitar player, do you ever repair any classical guitars?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

I am so busy with violins, violas, cellos and double basses... So no, I leave that to guitar repairers

[@johnsee7269]

Just curious what the motivation was to repair that instrument. Hard to judge sound quality but it seemed to sound good. Sentimental value? Virtuoso repair on a collection of shards of wood and glue...

[@paulbecket7399]

beautiful work, you saved that poor violin, oh my god the number of cleats inside that instrument. I would feel some what uncomfortable playing a violin of that age that had so much work done on it.

[@dondavison556]

I have a vintage violin from late 1700s to early 1800s made in Austria whuch has been repaired but not the scratches . Do I touch up scratches & blend in, or did bI need to remove all varnish & then revarnish ?

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

Never remove the original Varnish

[@fnersch3367]

Did that violin soundboard come from the Maunder Minimum forests of Northern Europe?

[@frank64409]

Olif, what polish do you use to make the wood so shiny? I'm making my wife a small wooden box.

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

It's a specialized milk Polish, not for furniture. These polishes, grounds, varnishes, and coatings were kept the tone of the violin keeps free. Why do you not just use a regular high gloss spray Varnish?

[@johnhaughey5347]

Does it matter if Japanese paper is used as crack re-enforcement instead of spruce pieces?

[@michaelwhisman7623]

Coffee was Stradivari's secret weapon.

[@bigbossmateusd.santos1774]

I suppose the violinist's a very proud person cause the violin

[@christianvanderstap6257]

Did you actually need to spend full 8 hour days or is it 1 or 2 a day ?

[@iwantmy2dollars662]

a lot of that time is probably waiting for glue or varnish to dry...

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

It's just little bursts each day and then lots of drying time... You can see the rest of the restoration taking shape as I restored these 2 cracks.

[@nskimharris]

k but like if there are a lot of crack stabilizers inside won't the sound bounce around wrong?

[@yemacakez5477]

Excuse me Olaf, I just want to ask, Is it ok to use my bow even if its 1yr 2months old?

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

If there's no much damages or malfunctions, just continue using it

[@SantaWithaViolin]

That violin must had survived several world war bombings with the mind blowing cracks. Glad that it's now in good hands.

[@stephenking4170]

I find it hard to comprehend how all those patches don't totally trash the sound of the violin given the importance of finely tuning plates by removal of fractional amounts of wood from critical places.

[@WeilunP]

I know it takes lots of effort and experience to make it that perfect but still, I think you use a spell to repair it when camera is off lol

[@KonradTheWizzard]

It was very subtle, but Olaf used a few spells on camera. If you are really observant you may notice a wand that looks like a paint brush that he claims to be using with the glue. It looks like it is made from the wood of a cello's bass bar with a violin E string as a core (for the fine detail) with a horse hair tuff at the end to spead the magic more evenly - it takes a really exceptional wizard to master such a wand! ;)

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

"Reparus violino"... I probably shouldn't share this secret ... It's in the way you wave the wand though... 😀

[@stephenking4170]

an f hole crack does sound a little bit rude. But seriously, I appreciate your videos. Well done.

[@laralovesviolins6510]

What do you use for filler?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Deft for varnish and lycopodium and hide glue for tiny timber areas... A lot of filling is done with tiny slithers of wood.

[@laralovesviolins6510]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thank you!

[@professordoug5491]

This guy reminds me of a student I have...He will show me his work, but doesn't turn it in my direction so I can see it.

[@michaelwhisman]

I make my cleats from sound post rods or larger. I round off the end and they look very professioonal, not that I am. LOL I saw this style on a 1700s instrument.

[@niccolopaganini6512]

OLDER THAN ME

[@WeedMIC]

What was the reason/justification to repair such damaged instrument?

[@timmallette1888]

I'm sure the owner would like to play it

[@WeedMIC]

@@timmallette1888 maybe the age or perhaps one does not want to create an argos incident

[@deezynar]

Lots of time = large bill for services. That's just a fact. I hope the instrument was worth it, but I'd guess that sentiment associated with it was the biggest motivator. I'm sorry that you didn't show what you did with all the squares you had attached to the back side of the top. Did the grain on those pieces run in line with the grain in the top, or perpendicular? Were they permanent additions, or temporary for alignment?

[@nancymilawski1048]

They are called cleats. They are glued in with the grain perpendicular to the grain in the top. They are shaved down with either a chisel or a small plane so that they are just a little above the surface. And I think they do affect the sound slightly but if you don't put them the crack will open up again. I'm not sure if he has shown it in a previous video.

[@deezynar]

@@nancymilawski1048 Thank you. I would assume that they have some impact on the sound. I'd be curious to hear about the justification for using them, as opposed to any other method.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Oops... Yes... I think there's a video of another crack repair I did a while ago that shows the cleats when they're finished.

[@deezynar]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thank you, sir. I'll hunt that video down.

[@biggysground]

Olaf, more cleats than a NFL game? LOL!

[@biggysground]

Nice job, well done.

[@bencze465]

When I see so many patches and glue and filling on an instrument I wonder how much of what we buy in a violin is actual physics. I can't believe they don't affect the vibrations. Would be cool to see if anyone did actual computer modelling and investigation into what matters and what doesn't matter as much. I'd think by now it should be pretty well known how to make a very high quality instrument for an affordable price, but it's all still being sold as some kind of magic and seems to me instruments tend to have randomly assigned prices where a lot depends on the looks, like how much time one spent on the scroll ornaments and stuff like that that may not affect the sound at all. Just wondering how much of a difference it makes in reality to spend 1, or 5 thousands on an instrument, when that's a really big decision for most people in the world? How much of the value is for the musical parameters and playability, and how much is for looks, brand, age, story? I feel these are handled very similarly to a painting or other form of art, when their primary function is making music. I don't own a violin but whenever I think of buying it always feels just as random as grabbing a big bunch of money, close my eyes and throw it out of the window. Wish I could afford that without second thoughts. :( Anyway, interesting insight.

[@frederickbowdler8169]

Some old violins should go on the fire?

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

😂

[@danayang7712]

Btw: you a Beatles-fan Olaf? 😁😁😁

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

I love some of the Beatle's songs... I have a huge musical pallette that ranges from baroque to electo swing, folk, jazz, hip hop and romantic... And way more. For me it's all about how music makes me feel

[@LinCalc]

his lorax shirt The Trees Can't Be Harmed If The Lorax Is Armed