Fixing a Fiddle

[@GoingBuddha]

Your humor, sir, is as finely tuned as your skills.

[@telequacker-9529]

"Vivaldi was never on the setlist."

[@DSteinman]

The Bach Chaconne at the end was especially moving 🤣

[@charlesbowen1703]

A violin is a fiddle that hasn't had beer spilled on it

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Violin and Fiddle are all the same instrument.

[@michaelwhisman]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 You need to pull the corn cob out of your ass you stuck up snob. He knows that stupid as we all do.

[@ian-c.01]

That inlay design that looks like some kind of seed pod is Hops for beer making. I've done lots of work on hop farms and recognised it straight away. The vine leaves aren't a very good likeness but that's just artistic license.

[@jonathanmartin3375]

I thought the same thing, that's a nice hop!

[@brianpateman2666]

I thought the same - my father was a brewer and my brother still is one.

[@Frankie_Holt]

You beat me to it

[@tiki_trash]

I recognized the hops instantly.

[@andymandiak603]

Probably Cluster or Hallertau

[@RedRose4711]

Bach would have been proud. Your facial expression alone was worthy of a song!

[@Jkirk1988]

Your videos de-stress me You're like the Bob Ross of woodworking!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

3:32 These pegs are made out of Rosewood, which is pretty common especially since Ebony is becoming scarce.

[@darrinswanson]

OMG, Ted! Your violin playing scowl! That was GOLD!!!

[@donald-parker]

About 30 years ago I had a flood in my basement and one of the victims was my sisters violin. But it was not really damaged ... it just came completely apart. When I opened the case it was like a violin kit. So I can attest to your comment that they were made to be taken apart. I lived in Ottawa at the time and took it to Peter Dawson who fixed it up like new. He made all manner of bowed instruments from huge double bases to small scale violins for young kids. I expressed interest and he gladly gave me a tour of his shop. I remember being very impressed with a violin top he was working on, getting the gentle curves all by eye, using tiny finger planes. No CNC for this dude. Very cool.

[@danytoob]

Well Ted, for a non-violin fixer, you actually did just that. I guess some of us have got it and some of us don't. You sir clearly do. Beside the fact you repaired the owners treasure, you also managed to entertain us. Thank you.

[@mrkkitson]

Craftsmanship knows no bounds. Well done.

[@nicholastotoro7721]

A violin has strings. A fiddle has strangs. You’re welcome, folks. Please try the fish.

[@scenepointjudge]

That's not so good, Al.

[@nicholastotoro7721]

@@scenepointjudge Yeeeep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep...

[@localcrew]

Some say a fiddle has “wars” - as in “Dangit Earl... I broke a war!”

[@SquirrelDarling1]

Back in the day, 1920’s, many families had fiddles like that. I was told that there were door to door fiddle salesmen. Our family had one just like that.

[@tuskedbeast]

You surpassed yourself with the quips on this one- I literally laughed out loud a few times! Thank you.

[@bretolson8484]

That “seed pod” looks much like a hop bud, doesn’t it? Like a German adornment to my eyes. Such a valuable watch to me, thanks as always 🙏

[@sarcletti]

Yes sure. A umbel of hop.

[@alexanderkupke920]

That was my first thought as well.

[@Vykk_Draygo]

That was my first thought (home brewer and general beer enjoyer).

[@matthewbartolone7036]

You never cease to amaze me Ted, sure its not in your wheel-house but you did fine job making it playable. Thank You

[@stevehead365]

The workmanship on the fiddle is not terrible. The Maggini style scroll is skilfully done, nice back, good f holes. Ok, the maker came to grief on the purfling, but overall, a good amateur effort. Your playing was execrable but the pained expression on your face was priceless.

[@billknudson7895]

That inlay work blew me away. Extraordinary work, Ted.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Also with Geared Pegs, you need a stringing crank cause when restringing all you have to do is turn the handle.

[@angryspacerasta1398]

I love the look of intense concentration while you're playing. Looks like a level 2 recital.

[@theshadowknows6969]

Watching you make the pearl inlay is extremely impressive. The patience that must require is astounding.

[@briankavanagh7191]

Ted, with violin playing like that you should on the stage, but only brushing it!🤣 🤣 🤣 the concentration on you face at the end was priceless, Bravo. 👏

[@Spellfork]

Dude that's a rare and lost linguini that hasn't been seen since the first second world war!

[@sewing1243]

Actually it's one of Stradivarius's first attempts at a violin that had passed through a worm hole into the present.

[@ericbell5272]

It's a string driven thing so I'm happy. Many thanks from the UK

[@seanj3667]

@@sewing1243 Is that the rumored one he made in wood shop in high school? I hear he only got a B- for a grade.

[@stevehead365]

It's a very rare Gina Carbonara.

[@eblackbrook]

@@seanj3667 Actually, he got a D because he was trying to make a spice rack.

[@lwilton]

Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Repair has recently been using a 4 oz (or so) plastic squirt bottle of "Old Brown Glue", which appears to be some form of commercial premixed hide glue. Previously he used the usual method of flakes, water, and glue pot. He seems to like the new stuff fairly well. Other than seeing him use it I know nothing about it, but it might be something useful for you.

[@PunkPino]

It’s nice seeing that someone else here also watches Thomas Johnson antique furniture repair videos 😎

[@stanrogers5613]

That stuff has been around Lee Valley forever, so there's a pretty good chance Ted's run into it. As I understand it, the very things that make it good are the things that make it less reversible, so it's not a 1:1 replacement when things are meant to come apart for repair.

[@perihelion7798]

Tom Johnson is a finish matching wizard, as well a a genius repair guy. Titebond makes many kinds of glue, including a premixed hide glue. It's convenient.

[@paulbouchard9521]

It's not good for instruments though. I tried it on fixing a ukulele neck dovetail (I was new to woodworking) and even after 48 hours, it gave in when the strings were brought to tension. In deep joints, it take a long time to dry out.

[@perihelion7798]

@@paulbouchard9521 Hide glue can have a long drying time, especially in humid conditions. I don't use it, personally.

[@cfmcguire]

Thank your customer for keeping a family heirloom functional. My fiddle also belonged to my grandfather.

[@thebiggerbyte5991]

That heel graft is lovely, as is that inlay.

[@normandmadeleine6038]

Loved the concerto at the end... Keep on rocking.

[@jackiet4575]

As if we didn’t all know that your interests lie in baroque instruments!! This must be a treat for you to flex your extrodinary luthier skills!! And of course.. you came thru beautifully! As always amazing 😻

[@garywhitt98]

Okay, I’m calling an internet pun foul on Jackie. It’s just wrong to fiddle with words.

[@jackiet4575]

@@garywhitt98 if it’s not baroque don’t fix it! Lol 😂 p.s. Ted really does like Renaissance and Baroque instruments!

[@garywhitt98]

@@jackiet4575 Yes Jackie, Ted is well aware that too much violins can lead to baroque music.

[@ahf5471]

I just come to listen to him pontificate. Really thorough explanations.

[@shazmah]

Loved the pearl work portion :)

[@michaellyons8712]

Geo Heinl & Co. are sending their assassins. Don’t answer the door. Great solution for the button. Love that tail piece. I bet that violin has a great story.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

19:13 Well we were tuning it to pitch & the High E String snapped, so now we've gotta get that replaced. I think Geared tuners (such as Wittners or Easytune Machine heads) would've saved you that trouble plus they eliminate the need to have fine tuners on the tailpiece.

[@TomHug]

Really appreciate the diligence of your analysis and problem-solving, even with an instrument not in your primary wheelhouse. Thanks for posting!

[@bobsegar1242]

Thank God you posted, I’m glad you got a break. But, I needed your mild sarcastic remarks and creative spark.

[@davewhite1342]

My first impression of the pearl inlays was that they were a couple hop cones. If they are hop cones, definitely a fiddle.

[@MonsieurTourette]

Great video! "The geometry turned out satisfactory", is a sentence I now need to work into my everyday life^^

[@hydorah]

Love the expression on your face as your fiddlin' away at the end! Inlay looks amazing

[@evanduquette]

"These Krusty-brand balloons are 3 bucks each. Get a cheap one, and what happens? Goes off! Takes out the eyeballs of every kid in the room. What's that gonna cost you? Hey, Bill. What did that cost us?"

[@pepppery]

Grazie. grazie, you have brought joy to this old Italian stereotype.

[@fieraci8500]

“Hey Gang…. This skinny 6 foot long case before me does -not- contain a Gretch Country Gentleman, I assure you. It may surprise you to learn how large the Aboriginal Australian ex-patriot community is in Canada, but today I have a Didgeridoo with some issues……. Let’s dive right in, mates….”

[@6Oko6Demona6]

At the end: yeah, finally someone has played Bach on this thing. You should've played some Vivaldi though.

[@tiki_trash]

lol!

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

@@tiki_trash, I thought it sounded a bit more like the second movement of Phillip Glass' Pertitino #4 in Ab maj., but since I am NOT EVEN a violinist, only a hack fiddler, what do I know?

[@bakters]

That's your best video so far. I don't even really know why I liked it so much. The mix of skill and humility, with some added spice of self deprecating humor? Could be this. Anyways, you do make me appreciate the work of every luthier I ever encountered.

[@garrickmartin7707]

That last bit was a hoot. I once traveled from Europe to India with a guy who played Bach partitas every evening when we stopped to camp (combi camp). That was pretty close man!!!.

[@rguitar78]

You remain as informative and entertaining as ever, thanks so much for all you do!

[@WujekDobrelody]

Great job, Ted. Now We're waiting for grand piano.

[@JohnKorvell]

Or a sitar total overhual.....

[@twoodfrd]

Never again. Fret positions are a nightmare.

[@MD-ws1dg]

Hey Ted, just wondering if you'd ever considered an immersion circulator (sous vide) machine for your glue heating? The beauty is you can just set the desired temp and it will never waiver. The machines only cost about $100-150 now.

[@markcooper8561]

Great vid Ted. Loved when you started sawing it in half at the end!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Actually you can use Tight bond it's a bit stickier & stronger so they're really supposed to allow that as well.

[@cndream1]

Veeerrrryyyyy interesting, informative, educational. Thanks !!!! Now I will go unclench my teeth from the screeching owl concerto -------

[@donmoroz5502]

Ted; I used to play violin (and fiddle) in my youth, and had, to my best recollection, a look on my face, very much similar to yours. Excellent repair, considering what you started with.

[@jipes]

Very beautiful inlay replacement, great work !

[@ssplintergirl]

I love crossover videos like this where your favorite creators dabble in something they aren’t comfortable with

[@Tetsaraku]

Watch out Paganini! Nice work and an interesting departure from the norm. I wouldn't mind more videos like this.

[@Sungodv]

With the word wood in his name, you know he's a natural

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

He should open a Luthier shop!

[@mark5150ty]

I got an old crock pot that you can actually set the temperature. It's great for heating up glue and potting pickups. I love it cuz I can set it and forget it and it won't overheat.

[@motorpsych]

"Distruzione della biancheria intima". Bravo, maestro! Nice quip for bilingual Italian speakers!

[@caryoutismusic4515]

My favourite piece of Bach’s - thanks so much

[@ChrisEbbrsen]

Thank you for your honesty. You did a nice job for not being a violin repairman. Pretty old violin nice yellow varnish. Thanks for your toil. I'm redoing a bridge on my own violin your vidio helped. Most greatful!.

[@visionseekrMP]

You are amazing. I enjoy your channel immensely as well as your tongue and cheek humor. Thanks for all the detail.

[@violao206]

This was so damn fun to watch! Look out for those pissed-off violin makers from Kremona! Haha!

[@jtfritchie]

I’m amazed that you fixed the inlay. I realize that it probably wasn’t a big deal for you, but I assumed that it was a lost cause. Impressive.

[@iskandertime747]

There's a great wordless half hour documentary on Vimeo called "fabrication D'un Violin". It shows a man, y'know, making a violin using all hand tools. It does a great job showing just how organized and fearless you have to be to work with hot hide glue. It's also good to watch when you think that your tools are sharp. They are not sharp compared to this guys tools.

[@amsknirb]

Thanks for the recommendation! I think I found the video on youtube: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6HLe6p5g8eBias He cut through that wood like a knife through butter, very satisfying.

[@pallecla]

@@amsknirb Thanks, that was very interesting to watch.

[@yellowmonkee0]

Oh man. That ending had me up in stitches. Great work sir!

[@liverpoolred2834]

I watch you for your mastery with guitar playing ......and some repairs :-) but that was so entertaining! Thanks for all your videos and for all luthiers for sorting our precious axes out!

[@tbonky]

I appreciate your courage to approach the fretless fingerboard. Well played sir,

[@Slamgod]

Your videos get more amusing by the episode. You make learning fun, Mr.Woodford. Keep rockin’ on!! See you next time!!

[@DerangedTechnologist]

This is truly wonderful. Thank you! // I could wonder whether those inlays may represent hops.

[@nsjohnston]

I thought hops too.

[@robertshorthill4153]

They appear to be hops pods ( cones ). Could be a German made fiddle. Hops are one of the essential ingredients for beer. The fiddle and beer make for what the Germans call gemutlichkeit, which connotes the state of "happyness", as a rough translation. So hops gets my vote. Bob

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I think Changing the friction pegs out to Mechanical pegs would've been a good upgrade as the Mechanical pegs save the peg box from wearing out & improve the sound by putting the strings at a slightly sharper angle towards the nut, plus you can eliminate fine tuners from the tailpiece. I think Helicore Strings would also make it playable.

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

Oscar Stern, Mechanical pegs, while totally shunned by nearly every string musician, are far superior to traditinal friction pieces.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@j.d.schultzsr.9215 Nobody should shunn those Mechanical pegs anymore, this is really outdated information.

[@activese]

Hi, as usual amazing work, missed your last week video. Take care.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

You could use Tight Bond with Bowed stringed instruments but it might not be strong enough.

[@ModernVintageFilm]

I'm very excited for this. Love your work. You teach me a lot. So thank you

[@ralphbyers6136]

That was fantastic!!! I loved your jam at the end!!!

[@desolatemetro]

Nicely done, sir! Well...not that I'd know exactly...but it certainly looks a whole lot better than when you started. No longer "barn find grade".

[@dongill9650]

Breathtaking work.

[@ernestvenn8291]

Thank you for the information on the two book.

[@f1s2hg3]

Subscribers are going to be where the know how is! Your show has been giving me great knowledge of the art to fix the impossible.

[@adamchilton6652]

Your voice and humor remind me so much of Ricky Jay. If you've never seen "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" on youtube, I highly recommend you do!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Those are Thomastik Dominant Strings (Medium Tension).

[@matthewridgeway9250]

Awesome. I love the demo at the end. The best bit is blending in the wedge in the heel. Great work on the abalone too. Thank you for a very unique video. I enjoyed it very much.

[@vltjd]

You make me laugh. Great sense of humor and so knowledgeable.

[@matthewbartolone7036]

An outstanding narritive, :Learned more here than I expected, thank you for your patient dialog.

[@frankcerovsky2662]

Great job... your humbleness is comforting to the layman

[@caphenning]

I think this is one of your best videos ever.

[@joebush1663]

Dealt with expertly as usual - the aesthetics, the structural integrity, and the playability.

[@jamesunderhill1603]

It's not a guitar, yet I still found it interesting & informative. Bravo Sir, you have my utmost respect.

[@3373-g8z]

"Hey Bob, what'd that cost us?" Hey Hey Kids!

[@Scodiddly]

Loved that Krusty reference.

[@martinclarke3562]

Great vid. I'd watch and listen to you repair anything. I learn so much and being a 70s kid I appreciate the instantaneousness of modern research, but you, Sir, are a true consulting detective. 'Bravo Homes! Bespoke stringed instrument construction papers with measurements aplomb!! Ha ha. Take great care, young Sir!

[@kinunshele]

Beautiful job as always. Very inspiring x

[@milt7348]

Often wondered about the relationship between violin and guitar. Thanks

[@caseysmith544]

My brother used and still has a wood glue you have to mix the material with hot almost boiling water for his Upright bass when he did repairs to his instrument to keep the top and back from separating from the sides. Normally with a Bass if being correct repaired or made to the classical era one uses horn glues like from Mountain Goats or some beads of cow/bull animal say Scottish Highland or some dual purpose breads of bull/cows that have horns but most now use the heated type of wood glue due to that strong horn glue being a good bit harder to find then the hide glue. He did not quite do some of the work right and had a slightly thicker version of the glue as final project he ended up with parts should have some flex not movement but flex in the edges of the upright bass with the face and back. Since then however no parts popping apart when the humidity changes by 5% or more from season to season.

[@JoeHeisler]

I had an upright bass tail piece snap, it was crazy how much energy released, almost got smacked in the face

[@tjmaclean]

Great video! I'm about to do some mouse eaten F-hole repair to a family heirloom fiddle. Wish me luck!

[@guitfidle]

Oooooo an actual barn find!! It's got some surprisingly nice flame to the maple, especially considering the very rough construction. I recently started servicing a couple violins and a cello.... Quite a bit different from my usual electric guitars and basses. I did get those books, which are quite helpful.

[@bluegrassbarry]

25 years ago we would pick out guitarmaking/repair videos from the stewmac catalogue and pay $54 for a VHS tape with maybe a 45 min. video on it, and it would arrive by mail in 3 to 4 weeks.

[@mrwaffles1394]

The Bach at the end was beautiful. It brought a tear to my eye (I only have the one).

[@stephenhenion8304]

This was certainly a big change in direction!!!!! Congratulations on your efforts and achievements...

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

20:11 Wait that's a Fiddle Tune right?

[@davidjohnstone2952]

No guitar this week but still one of the highlights of my weekend...always informative...

[@mermaidelina]

A cellist and violinist here - this video made me happy to see in my feed!

[@RickJones222]

Maybe not, but you are brilliant! Thanks, Ted!

[@hellmag7725]

Very nice work in all of your videos, master!! Still waiting to see an acoustic Harley Benton :D

[@jondough76]

Thank you so much for the ending of this video! I really needed a good laugh..