Life of a Luthier

The back-to-school time of year has everyone at Kennedy Violins very busy! Let's take a look at the luthier department during this exciting fall season.

In this picture, you can see part of the luthier area. Thousands of violins, violas and cellos are worked on, set up and inspected in this area before being shipped to customers all over the country.

We use several different knives when working on stringed instruments, as well as chisels, files, and scrapers. All the measurements used in luthier work are very precise and exact, and most things are measured in millimeters using flexible and rigid stainless steel rulers, dividers, and calipers.

When setting up and inspecting an instrument, we check to make sure the tailpiece is in good working order, and tighten the fine tuners so they won't buzz. We also apply peg compound to the pegs so that they will run smoothly.

Another thing we check is the sound post. In the picture you can see a view of the sound post as it appears when you look through the end button hole on the bottom of the violin.

Luthiers use this hole to view the fit of the sound post. We check to make sure it is making good contact on both the top and bottom plates, that it is straight, and that it is in the proper place within the violin.

We spend quite a bit of time on the nut and fingerboard. The nut needs to be shaped correctly, and we achieve this using a file. Both the nut and the fingerboard are sanded smooth, using dry sandpaper, wet sandpaper, and steel wool. This process leaves the fingerboard incredibly silky-smooth. The string grooves are carefully filed in the nut using specially sized flat and round files.

The bridge also requires lots of attention.

We make sure that the feet fit the top plate of the violin perfectly. We also shape and thin the bridge so that a subtle taper and bevel are achieved. The string height and top curve are measured and applied, and we also make special cuts on the arms and heart of the bridge.

Next, the strings are installed. We wind the strings on the pegs using a special method which keeps the pegs from slipping, allowing the violin to stay in tune longer.

The violin then undergoes a final inspection, and is now ready to play.

Last of all, the violin is put together as an outfit. The violin pictured here is a Louis Carpini violin outfit, and it is available for purchase on KennedyViolins.com. We inspect and rosin the bow, and make sure that all the accessories are included. The violin is then packed up and shipped to its new owner, where it will be happily played for many years to come.