I Face My Nemesis: Fixing Thick Plates on the 1966 Czech Violin

[@Madshadowgolem]

That went from speaking to singing to something special. I'm very grateful to you for doing this demonstration! A lot of work. I hope that violin is cherished for what it has become.

[@rippinstock]

Not sure what’s more impressive. Your ability to completely change the tone of the instrument or the ability for me to hear it through the speakers of my iPhone that my children have dropped in a toilet 50 times. But seriously. Love your art form. Wish I had a reason to buy a violin.

[@TomLeg]

The toilet improves the iphones :-)

[@rippinstock]

Totally set myself up there. Well done. 😂

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

😂 haha

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker. Hi Olaf, you’re busy re thicknessing the front . It’s reminded me of my old school fiddle, “Bohemian”, with horribly thick battered varnish bought specifically as a re varnishing exercise. The wood looked great , and on the spur of the moment I took the top off. Shock horror the underside was like a ploughed field and the base bar a joke , definitely a Friday afternoon must get payed job. Fortunately there was enough to thickness it and fit a new base bar. It was a great exercise and I even rigged up an oscillator to use the Hutchins technique. All the work was done under the guidance, over the phone , by my guru, now in the great workshop in the sky. It was a great confidence builder as I suffer from “I might make a mistake” itis. It needs varnishing which my guru was going to give me guidance. Edit: I read somewhere that the top contributes 2/3 to 3/4 of the tone, and even my post ears can hear the improvement after you’ve just thicknesses the top alone.

[@ronmarkell4436]

This is really exciting for me. I’ve had two violins re-graduated. Both came back totally changed for the better. Both were trade violins from Germany; one was a Hopf. The Hopf was almost unplayable even with a good set-up. It sounded like a cat in heat on the best days. Now I get to see what all of the magic is about. 😊

[@peterblomgren89]

I don’t play any instruments and I’m not able to hear those sublte changes in tone. But I love the craftmanship in your work. Impressive Olaf.

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

Fantastic job Olaf even my 80 yr old ears could hear the difference thru my computer headphones!. thanks for sharing. ECF

[@mabdub]

Wow, that's stunning , the tone is very different, much warmer. I had no idea that the sound could be changed so dramatically. I guess that making these critical adjustments for free must be your ticket to heaven. I'm only half kidding; you gave this instrument the gift of a beautiful singing voice that it wasn't born with. This instrument will now be appreciated and treasured in a whole new way. This video is the most educational violin tutorial I've ever seen. I'm glad I saw the previous tutorials about this same violin. It would be so great to hear what someone like Ray Chen could do with it. I mean, now that we know how well the violin can sing it would be fantastic to hear a virtuosos put the new violin through it's paces. The story of how this violin was improved is genuinely inspirational. Thank you for sharing this video and all the hard work you did to create a much better instrument. You've made a lot of people very happy. Lux Sit.

[@zapa1pnt]

Olaf, the few short strokes, on each string, at the end, really showed how it now rings out, like a bell. Something it could not possibly do as it was when you got it.

[@Gefionius]

What a fantastic craftsman! Thank you for sharing your skills with us.

[@RichardLlWilliams-di1bo]

At last video a non- scientist can understand. I can't wait to do my Czech violin (about 1950) so thanks very much Olaf.

[@schuylerborden2815]

I would love to see videos about the violins you are making and your violin making process. You have a lot of videos, I haven’t seen if you already made one.

[@dingus153]

Man the sound of you splitting these instruments open never gets better for me 😂 gives me the heeby jeebies

[@stevev5510]

I think this will help young violin makers more than players... I think everyone will thank you for your service. Merry Christmas

[@hobbyist-fiddler]

I think I can hear much stronger sympathetic resonance, especially on the 2nd and 3rd octave G. Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[@nickstoic2944]

The violin sounds more alive after all the work and effort. Thank you for sharing.

[@Mr.MT3]

Thanks for doing this. A good instrument deserves to be the best it can be. I hate working on something and not being able to get it tip top. Love seeing you do this for free, I'm sure a lot is for the video and all that, but I know at least some of this is for the instrument, and for the music. For that Olaf, you're one of my favorite people on here. May the blessings be ❤

[@Mullewarp]

I did this with my first violin, an old german violin with two massive cracks up to the f-holes and an horrible sound. I took the top plate off (thanks to Olaf for showing how this has to be done). I glued the cracks and then realized that the top plate was very thick. Up to 7mm in the centre part. I sanded it down to about 4mm. Now it's a decent sounding violin, not as good as my "good violin" but much better than before.

[@emilithium1]

That hole in the scroll from someone drilling a peg while it was in the pegbox was funny, a little sad but still kind of funny! Poor scroll!

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Unfortunately it happens a little too often

[@esuutaa8530]

Wow, was für ein Unterschied. Gute Arbeit und Grüße aus Hamburg :)

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

Well since my last post, I've gone from 80 to 81 yrs of age, and just for the record I've had my hearing and eyes tested since the last time at usual check ups and all is spot on with them. and yes! even now I could detect the huge difference in the increase of depth and volume of the vibrato of that instrument. No ! Im not a musician, but love the violin and have listened to all the greats over my life time. and once again Thank you Olaf for this great tutorial for the students and enjoyment or us old folk. and for sharing. ECF.

[@wade4452]

Wonderful, and so informative. Feeds my creative hunger to understand the physics of function. Greatly appreciated.

[@jacisantos1849]

I could be wrong, but I noticed the huge difference when both plates were adjusted, not so much when just the top one was. Loved it!

[@TomLeg]

Glad you're having lovely summer weather outside the door ... Christmas Day in Canada, dreaming of motorcycle / sailing weather. PS Love your Picasso t shirt

[@arnot5317]

Ich verstehe als Tischlermeister nicht viel von Streichinstrumenten und spielen tu ich sie schonmal gar nicht, aber es ist ein Genuss dir bei der Arbeit zuzuschauen. Handwerkliche Grüße aus Norwegen, dem anderen Ende der Welt😉

[@billbutler8141]

WOW! The difference is amazing. Thank you so much for your instructional videos on repair. While I am a wind player, not a stringer, I am faced with little repair chores for my wife who teaches grade school instrumental music! This week she brought home a Cello that a student's little brother landed in and added over a half dozen cracks/splits to! Even a couple of chips around one inch square broken out of the top plate near the bottom! I will do my best to see if I can restore this instrument to playable condition, as i like a challenge!

[@dombruh1289]

That might be my Piere Lomont Master! I just got the shipping email, and patiently waiting here in Texas. Thanks Olaf for all you do!

[@KeithR0000]

It’s worth the wait both of mine came from Olaf.

[@dombruh1289]

@@KeithR0000 That’s great to hear! I’m a little more excited about mine coming in now lol

[@GaryGP40]

It is so worth it. Mine came from Olaf also. Beautifully made, carefully packaged and made it 19,000 miles like I picked it up in person! You will love yours!

[@clawhammer704]

First thing I would do once the top is off is get that bass bar off. I can really improve the tone with a new bass bar with the proper length and away from the center line.

[@JAR2.0]

Full, clear and sweet... what a delightful transformation! Thanks for undertaking such a challenge as it adds greater clarity to an appreciation of the magic in your artistry.

[@chrisloveall6780]

Sounds so much better.

[@10data10]

Excellent conversion. That’s quite a process. I enjoyed your video. I hope that the owner enjoys the improvement.

[@georgH]

That was impressive, I didn't expect so much of a change! Well done!

[@gnm109]

It's really very interesting to watch your work.

[@1cleandude]

Surprised didn’t insist on changing the bass bar out! You still have the extra thickness under it. Thanks for sharing!🙏🙏🙏

[@jcortese3300]

That fiddle's been wanting to clear its throat for 57 years. Amazing difference.

[@localppcartist]

My Juzek Fiddle, was mid tone, without much bass and note separation...not silky. I had it re voiced, and its great! The guy said there was alot of wood.

[@nskimharris]

What an incredible difference!

[@chanellegranlund7890]

A longer format, no commentary, just planing and scraping the plates would’ve been so cozy ☺️

[@phil6419]

Lucas Fabro has some videos that are basically that.

[@txsphere]

Amazing video!

[@LaskMaestro]

My viola is a "tonalized" viola 1984 made by Michael Weller, a native of Holland. My memory from 40 years ago is that he said that he acquired mass produced unvarnished instruments in Mittenwald that he liked and tonalized them, and finished them. It took him a year to finish them. His education: Staatliche Berufsschule für Musikinstrumentenbau 1967-1971 He migrated to the Philadelphia area, then Swarthmore, PA USA for many years. As he retired in 2020, he moved back to Holland, his homeland. I miss his yearly checkups! He tonalized my viola while living in Swarthmore. I am thinking that his process is similar to yours? I've played on the Weller viola now for 40 years.

[@mellissadalby1402]

Now it sounds like my D. Legierski Guarneri model. Very nice!

[@rocknroller912]

I’ve tried this a few times with cheap violins to try and improve the sound and wasn’t sure if I was doing the correct thing or not. I have more confidence in what I did now that I’ve seen you do exactly the same as me. Difference in the sound and response was quite noticeable

[@kireland8]

I loved this! Thanks

[@trumpetplayer6397]

Yes, now it's come alive and is responding 😊

[@johnstitt2615]

Another great repair video and an repair/improvement for the books. Happy Holidays. ✌️👌✌️

[@hrenes]

Good work! You should have a label with improved by Olaf..

[@williamstephens9945]

I thought he should put his own label in it too.

[@BlaisPianoGuitars]

Good show! Makes a lot of sense. Hmm, some old old piano SB's were constructed in a similar manner, only very largely.

[@seabrookel5037]

Such a beautiful transformation! And fascinating video. Thanks for taking the time and effort to demonstrate this for us.

[@randolphfriend8260]

❤️ Merry Christmas to you, & also to that "new" owner!

[@mevans4715]

Olaf, thank you so much for doing this. I had sent you and email about this very thing. This is a very nice result! Thanks again!!

[@Orgelix]

It always amazes me that something as fragile as a violin is so stable. As a non-violin player, i am afraid that it will break as soon as i pick it up 😅 Keep up the good work!

[@zapa1pnt]

Another luthier has said, "If it is set up correctly, it is ready to fall apart.".

[@Dansback21]

The top plate shaving make it more loud and experiment. Sharing the bottom gave it depth and sweetness!

[@michaelfrank2266]

Even I, with hearing loss, could hear the difference. I thought it sounded 'richer' only seconds before you said it sounded "richer". I found this video interesting.

[@anjinsanx44]

A master craftsman!!! Well done!

[@sanjithd3343]

I've been waiting for this!! Merry Christmas Olaf (I know I'm a bit late 😂)

[@besthobbit]

I'm so glad you do these videos. They're super informative and interesting 😊

[@tzeentchauseebacher1302]

Did you weigh the top plate before and after? If so, what were the measurements?

[@medicinemadisonofficial]

Great improvement! 👏

[@moplum]

Amazing difference

[@Dev-Digs]

Just WOW! amazing

[@mellissadalby1402]

Definitely sounds better now

[@VedunianCraft]

Love your videos! I wish I could be your apprentice haha! Greetings from Austria 💪!

[@djasge3893]

Hello, thank you again for another fascinating video. When you have some time would you be able to make a video about different bows? Materials, spars, pros and cons. Thanks in advance

[@rossthefiddler5890]

One day, I may rethickness my (late) Mum's Amati copy violin. It looks good externally, but tonally, it sounds more like a lump of wood.

[@fiddlestyx21]

Great job!

[@Fireman9143]

Thanks for doing this!

[@Crenom]

So COOL love it!

[@twoblink]

That was great!

[@guillermoramirez8444]

You should add a label to de violin that reads “rethickened by Olaf”

[@johnresciniti4290]

I'm a school band director, kind of forced into teaching beginner violin. I have a violin handed down from a distant cousin. Brought it to my local luthier and she said she would definitely work on it. It plays fine for my use. My question is about fine tuners. I have 4, the one in this video has 4, but everywhere I look, it seems to be ridiculed to have more than one. I can NOT hold my violin and tune it with the pegs so I'm fine with that, but what's the stigma with having more than one?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

There's nothing wrong with 4 finetuners... Especially if the pegs aren't 100% perfect it can be so difficult to focus on doing your important job and keeping your violin in tune. I often recommend a Wittner fine-tuning tailpiece because it's a bit lighter and doesn't mute the tone. Here's a video I made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWLNamaXrs9pgMksi=EKF3AVrX2c-XpCA0

[@OmaBike]

I added the 3 other fine tuners to my student violin and my teacher would always take them off. I hated that instrument.

[@salossi]

This is the kind of job I wanted to do on my viola since quite a while... It is a very heavy instrument, with way too thick top / bottom plates, and it simply doesn't sound resonant. I guess, there is a lot of potential to improve this instrument, and at some point, when I'll find the time and I cleaned up my workshop, I will do.

[@TNungesser]

Holy cow! Much better! I'm just curious why you didn't rethickness the back plate with the top plate off without having to take the back plate off?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

I know! So much better... Because I wouldn't be able to listen to the tap tone of the back plate.

[@judeh101]

It really sounded a ton better after the regraduation. I am so surprised

[@TomLeg]

I'm guessing the finger planes are to do the real hogging, and the scraper is mostly to make the gradations smoother

[@eldricgrubbidge6465]

And to tidy up and take any marks from the planes away I think.

[@TanCreti]

Hi Olaf. We love your videos. We noted a keloid scar on your right wrist. What is the story behind this? We are doctors and play string instruments.

[@michaelwhisman]

I am working on an old trade violin whose back plate is upwards to 6 cm thick.

[@neilfromclearwaterfl81]

Olaf - Amazing amount of work in "Only" 27 minutes and 49 seconds! ;> In reality how many work hours did you have to put into it including blending the varnish, polishing, etc to blend things and make removing the plates less obvious? Most also don't think of the time it takes to unbox, repack, take care of the client and shipping paperwork along with other administrative costs of keeping a shop open while performing these services. I see others transfer their thickness chart to the plates and then use a drill press with a small diameter bit to put dimples in to mark the depths to make the carving process go faster. Are your tap-tones a little off natural to help keep the Wolf at bay or... For a real "Sows Ear" Challenge what about doing similar to the Aldi's Violin Shaped Object or is there not enough silk available to pull that one off? Best!

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Oh wow even to my untrained ears I could hear a huge difference in the sound, now that strange hum/buzz it had is totally gone, it sounds like a completely different instrument all together. I am curious though, does this work you've done to it increase its overall value?

[@jedgurley]

Sounds like a fiddle, not loud but tones are there, a lot of german trade violin's sound linda like that before the repair

[@JHouse4]

How do you know the timber used can withstand the string tension after being thinned? I imagine on the extreme side of things if you tried to do this to one of those cheap modern plywood plates they would collapse.

[@subdrvr]

Tell me, why do violin makers not use orbital hand sanders to thin the plates down when making or repairing a violin?

[@stevenverhaegen8729]

Fourier transformed 😮 👍

[@zadrik1337]

Not a musician. I instantly heard the difference on the first note. I can't wait till the end of the video....

[@ESKARGAMES]

I wish I could take my cello to you and have you give it a once over. I wonder what your thoughts would be about optimizing it.

[@bloxxerboi]

i want to see a video with you make an instrument with every string on it (violin strings, viola strings, cello strings, and bass strings) and then play it

[@joeldawsey]

From my hearing it sounded kinda of muted before, and after the work it now has a more clear and louder sound. Is that what you guys are hearing?

[@wakingtheworld]

Sounded richer to my ears and I detected a subtle improvement after the base plate had been planed.

[@AmandaViolinGirl]

When I started watching I thought you would be using rough sand paper but I see you are using what I think is a plane?

[@zapa1pnt]

It looked like an, approximately, 10 to 15mm finger plane.

[@bohdan.budash]

Olaf, I’m still waiting for the video when you will test the strength of the violin, by standing on top of it.

[@zapa1pnt]

Here in St Louis, Missouri USA, we used to have an appliance dealer, by the name of Steve Mizerany. He would do, exactly that, with his appliances. He would stand on them, jump up and down on them, shake them around. He was nuts. Later he began selling motor boats as well. He would jump up and down on the foredecks and beat the hulls with a hammer, to show how sturdy the were. He won awards, for his ads, which was something I could never understand. 😁✌🖖

[@wakingtheworld]

He did one some time back with TwoSet Violin. Type any of these key words and you'll find it...

[@ssb73q]

Hi Olaf, very interesting video, thanks for sharing. Did you weight the violin before and after thinning the plates?

[@Robert-y2k7s]

I am probably wrong (I am sure there is more than one luthier in Czechoslovakia) I think I have a viola made by this company of about the same vintage. I don’t play a note, but I saw the instrument at a “Rotary Club” yard sale a decade or so ago, and bought it for $100. It doesn’t have a bridge and I am sure the strings are terrible. I may get it down out of my attic and see what’s what. I honestly can’t thank you enough for your KZbins. As I say I don’t play a note but watching you work at your craft is a real joy! Cheers. reb

[@Robert-y2k7s]

Actually, the 4/4 violin (not a viola, at 14”), is a made in Romania Knilling Bucharest series 4KF serial no. 71098. The label says “handmade,” but, well, everything, to one degree or another, is handmade, so I doubt that has much meaning. On closer inspection, in addition to the bridge missing, the sound post is rattling around in the insides, and the bow hair is 50% loose. A couple of the corners of the top and bottom plates are chipped/broken such that the points of the ribs are slightly (

[@yo6own]

​@Robert-y2k7s Knilling is not made in Romania, Bucharest is just the name of the series. In Romania the string instruments making is around Reghin, where the factories are Hora and Gliga and lots of private luthiers make very good violins. Knilling is in USA and they have a site with history and all.

[@Arnd2it]

I was surprised you took the back off. Couldn't you have thinned it when the top was removed and you had access to it?

[@mendyviola]

The sounds of a violin being opened up is a source of literal nightmares for me. 😂

[@zapa1pnt]

Sounds like bones cracking, doesn't it? I have, over the years, acquired a problem with hearing, saying or reading bone/bones. I get a twinge, starting in my legs and going all the way up through my body. Don't know what brought that on. 😁✌🖖

[@karimabobadr3175]

If the violin face is 2 or 3 mm, will it be solid and unbreakable? I hope you can answer me.

[@RelaxationMusic1611]

What does it mean that the violin doesn't have the body for a high notes? What affects good sounding high notes? O_o because I have doubts if mine instrument is able to play higher notes well (or just I can't do it yet) :D

[@joehalas378]

By not removing the bass bar have you not lost some sound. You will still have that area to thick?

[@erniemiller1953]

tHE SOUND DIFFERENCE I NOTICED WAS WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS, BEFORE, IT SOUNDED BREATHLESS...THAT IS SIMILAR TO WHAT A SINGER SOUNDS LIKE WHEN OUT OF BREATH. aFTERWARD, IT HAS A MORE BREATHY SOUND.

[@orenburg6318]

G'day Olaf. I have a bit of a controversial question/ observation. Granted that basic luthier maintenance includes sound post adjustments, new bridges, nuts, fingerboard planing, but these things dont really affect the resonance of the instrument. In that you have made some major structural changes to the instrument, do you have to annote anywhere that you've modified it? With the original label, would it now be classed as a forgery, as if it's sold as a (Czech violin circa 1966) but is outside of the specifications of that maker, or potentially altering the reputation of that maker? I know it could be compared to a luthier who has the apprentices do most of the work, and then the master finishes the instrument, and adds their label to the instrument, but wouldn't such a drastic modification after completion void the label? Dont get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of your work, and really appreciate and admire your craftsmanship, so this is just me thinking out loud, I mean no disrespect.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Some people do make a note inside the instrument... I think with a mass produced instrument like that it really doesn't matter. However on a higher level instrument it would be a good idea to put in a small label.

[@orenburg6318]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thanks for the reply! I was wondering that if you improved the sound so dramatically, whether there was any real scope for you to get a bit of the credit for why it sounds better than the other mass produced instruments from the same factory. Thanks again & please keep educating us! Frohe Weihnachten!

[@JD-hh9io]

Are you gonna play the rest of Shahrazad when you are done with this thing?

[@zainab58]

When a violin has traveled an enormous distance, like between Texas and Queensland, you obviously can't just yank it out of the case and start playing. How do you acclimate the instrument?

[@cfrost87]

before adjusting the thickness of both plates, it almost sounds as if there's a practice mute on the violin.

[@Bazerkly]

Kool 😉

[@jordangibson695]

In my opinion the difference between a great violin and a poorly made one has everything to do with those low notes. The violin (as opposed to the larger bowed instruments) is a small instrument so the high notes that are loud are easy to achieve. But without a huge bottom end even THOSE can sound shrill and tinny. The bass notes on a cheap violin sound boxy and dull and lacking in volume in balance with the high notes. So instead of worrying about other elements of sound response, it's all about getting that bass to be loud in relation to the high end. This is achieved by making as much of the plates flexible as possible. But the devil is in the details. As you make the plates thinner and more responsive, WOLF NOTES will start to appear. The violin will start to have notes in certain areas of its range that are louder than others....so you have to be careful not to make the violin too thin and light for these to start to occur as they are very unpredictable even for master violin builders. Finally, there's also the unpredictable element of not knowing how the violin will age and how this will affect the instrument's response over time. All this being said, the violin will never play itself and the player plays a huge part in getting the best sound out of any instrument.