This course is designed for the novice and/or beginner-level student wanting to learn the basic bench skills for setting up a 4/4 violin. Whether you currently work in a violin shop, are considering starting your own business, or just want to be able to check your own (or students’) instruments for correct fittings and measurements, this course will give you the foundational information and hands-on skills that are necessary for positive results. Learning the essentials of how to properly fit pegs, the nut, sound post, end button, and discussing all aspects of correct measurements are all part of this one-week course.
Be sure to take “Knife & Tool Sharpening for Instrument Making and Repair" as a prerequisite to find a higher level of success with this course and your personal bench skills.
A list of tools and materials can be found in the Tools & Materials tab below.
This course was previously titled "Basic Violin Setup I and Tool Use"
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.
