The Making of A Violin: The Making of a Luthier

Written by Ray Nichol
Published: October 4, 2014 at 9:21 AM [UTC]

by Ray Nichol (Luthier in training)

I've travelled, 7,445 km, from Courtenay, Canada to Balderton, Newark, Notts, UK to learn how to build and restore violins. At least the basics. I'll be learning violin making and restoration from John Gosling, restorer extraordinaire, from www.chapelviolins.com.

My Goal:

Is to take this and

turn it into this,

in 6 months.

You are cordially invited to join me, every two weeks, as I learn a few of the trade secrets and nuances of violin building and restoration.

A little about myself: Three short years ago, at the age of 56, with no musical training except when in grade school where instead of the violin that I wanted to play they gave me the recorder instead. After two classes they gave me the triangle!

Now, 46 years later, after building my first violin I was lucky enough to find Beth Blackerby, an extraordinarily talented and patient violin teacher, who runs Violin Lab www.violinlab.com.

The passion for the violin continued as I built another 3 violins and learning to how to play the violin from Beth. While in Claremont, California, this last summer, I attended a bow repair course with Lynn Armour Hannings, bow maker. www.lahbow.com

That brings us full circle to John Gosling, who runs Chapel Violins School of Violin Making. www.chapelviolins.com Every two weeks, I'll be updating my blog, here on www.violinist.com Welcome to my adventure.