| Tools & Materials: Violin Setup Foundations: Level I |
| Materials: |
| 1 or 2 4/4 violins; older ones are fine if in good shape with no repairs needed. Suppliers offer new student violins at good prices |
| Violin Pegs/Count on several extra (trust me!) with shaft larger than the existing peg hole in scroll |
| Two or more violin bridge blanks, 4/4 medium grade (Aubert Mirecourt, Despiau 1-tree, Teller 1-star, etc.) |
| Two set of strings; Tonica, Prelude, or your choice |
| Sound Post material; 6-6.5mm diameter |
| Two each of violin tailpieces, tail wire, fine tuners, & end buttons (these come with new violins usually) |
| Tools: |
| “Violin” knives: ¼”, ½” & ¾” (Hock blades are excellent) |
| Block plane; preferably a Stanley 9 ½ or similar make |
| Chisel; 1/8”, 1/4”, ½” or wider |
| 1 ½” or 2” plane blade used for shaping sound posts (sharpened ready to use) |
| Peg Shaver; Metropolitan Music makes an adjustable one; (others by Herdim, Alberti (violintools.com), Berber) |
| Reamer for Peg holes in scroll; straight fluted preferred |
| Small, fine tooth saw for cutting peg ends (“Xacto” w/ red handle is fine, or woodcraft has a good one too) |
| Sound post setter |
| Sound post retriever |
| Sound post mirror (small round mirror that fits inside the violin F-holes) |
| Bend-a-light, or similar L.E.D. strip that will fit inside the violin F-holes |
| Mousetail coarse file for filing notches in the bridge and/or nut (very small file) |
| Flat, medium coarse file (0 gauge) |
| Nut files (set of 4 or 5) |
| Sandpaper; 80, 120, 150, 220, 320, 400, 600 grit (sheets) |
| Small compass “dividers” (preferably with metal points on both ends) |
| Towel or “Violin cradle” (for violin to rest on while on bench) |
| Digital calipers |
| Flexible 30-centimeter ruler |
| Rigid 12”/30 cm ruler |
| Grease pencil (for marking bridge feet) |
| Soft 9B pencil |
| Alcohol lamp; Denatured (for removing the nut if necessary) |
| 1mm/1/16” drill bit for peg string holes |
| Power hand drill (small if possible) |
| Chinrest key |
| Bridge template (comes in a set from bostonfiddle.com) |
| Scraper set (Japanese set is available from Metropolitan Music that is very good) |
| Sound post angle jig (bostonfiddle.com) – MUST HAVE! |
| Parchments; protects the bridge notch from the “E” string digging into it (bostonfiddle.com) |
| Bridge lifter |
| Endbutton holder |
| Magnifying glasses (Optivisor, or be able to see very close work clearly) |
| Peg Compound |
| Optional tools: |
| Sharpening stones |
| Diamond stones |
| Suppliers (& others) |
| Metropolitan Music Gewa Music International Violin Connolly Music |
| Stewart McDonald Howard Core Woodcraft Tool Supply Violintools.com (Alberti tools) |
| Lie Nielsen Toolworks Lee Valley Hardware stores (others) |
| Contact Metropolitan Music for a complete pre-packaged toolbox for purchase at a discount. When you call they can help guide your questions. |
| sales@metmusic.com, (866) 846-5461. Other suppliers may offer similar packages if you ask. |
