Since the early 80's when I started learning to play violin, I have been interested in how they work.
My first violin was given to me by my uncle, Ray Moody. Someone gave it to him, since he never played himself and had no use for it, so I ended up with it. The violin was not a good instrument, but something to learn on.
After realizing I could play not half bad, I put an add in our local newspaper and acquired a better one. It was a German made "Special Copy" of a Stradivarius that needed some work. Not knowing too much but ambitious, I tore it apart, fixed the cracks, glued it back together and refinished it. It looked good, had a mellow tone but wasn't real loud. I played it for quite a few years.
After learning from the first violin I restored, I purchased about 6 more used violins of little value, and worked on them to enhance my techniques. It was more out of a necessity than interest because no one around the area where I live, worked on violins. By trial and error is how I acquired most of my techniques. I'm always keeping an eye out for old quality violins and enjoy fixing them up.
Click here to go to the violins I am building
Here is some of the violins I own.
This is my favorite violin, hand made in 1932 by John Schroepfer of Antigo, Wisconsin, (1886-1957).
Click on the pictures to see more on the Schroepfer violin.
As you can see it has a nicely flamed one piece maple back.
It has a wonderful mellow tone, great resonance and lots of volume.
In his luthier career John made 156 violins.
I purchased it in 1990 from Ed Schroepfer, John's son, (1914-1995).
To see more about John Schroepfer Violins, got to www.schroepferviolins.com
Violins I have restored
This violin has the tag scratched beyond legibility. A few letters indicate the word "berlin", so I'm assuming it is a German made violin.
Click on the picture to see how I restored the German violin.
Please email me if you have any information who would have made this violin.
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I am also in the process of repairing and refinishing two other violins. One is a Stainer copy.
Below are a couple of violins I did some burning and carving in.
These where done in 1986, before I learned that the wood should not be altered, which changes the tonal quality of the violin. They both where not great sounding violins anyway, and are now more of a novelty piece.
This is a project on Violins I wrote in my final year of high school.
