The violin maker with a 300 year tradition from Germany Der Geigenbauer mit einer 300 jährigen Tradition aus Deutschland

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Here you will find interesting facts about violin making, stringed instruments and tips for caring for your valuable instrument and bow

The instrument care

Stringed instruments can bring great joy for many years, even centuries. To ensure this, the correct storage and care of the instrument is also required.
With regular, proper care, easy playability and longevity of the instrument and bow can be achieved.
It's worth making a few things a habit when caring for your instrument.
Parents of young players can also support their children in taking care of their instrument.
We would be happy to explain and show you personally what maintenance can be done by the player himself.

Antonio Stradivari

Antonio Stradivari was born around 1644, the son of a rich patrician family near Cremona.
A. Stradivari learned the craft of violin making from Nicolo Amati (Cremona). He opened his own workshop in Cremona in 1680.
Already during his lifetime he was a very respected violin maker, even beyond the city walls of Cremona, and also financially very well off, which was rare at that time.

Stradivari's instruments already achieved a fame around 1700 that far surpassed that of his teacher Nicolo Amati.
In the early years of his independence, Stradivari was still strongly based on the Amatis architectural style, the models from this period are called "Amatisee". This was followed by the golden period from 1700, during which his best and most famous violins were also made.
A. Stradivari was a very diligent master. By the time he died in 1737, the Cremonese master is said to have built around 1,100 violins, violas and cellos. In addition to stringed instruments, Antonio Stradivari also built guitars and a harp.
His sons, Francesco and Omobono, continued the Stradivarius workshop, albeit with far less success than their father.

Famos violinmakers

The bridge and its functions

For each violin / viola / cello, the bridge is individually adjusted to the curvature of the top and the height of the fretboard.
A well-fitting bridge is crucial for the sound and also for the playability of an instrument. It determines the string position decisively. Well cared for, a jetty often lasts for several decades.
The bridge is only held on the top by the pressure of the strings. If you loosen all the strings, the bridge and sometimes the pin block fall over. A bridge should always be straight or slightly inclined backwards to the tailpiece on the ceiling. After tuning the strings, you should check the position of the bridge from time to time. If this no longer stands with all foot edges on the soundboard, ask your luthier to realign the bridge. This is the only way for the bridge to last for decades without losing its statics. When changing the strings completely, please change them only one at a time. In this way, the bridge stays in place and the scale length that has been set up is preserved.

The bridge on violins and other stringed instruments not only regulates the height of the strings, it also transmits vibrations.
If a stringed instrument is struck with a bow, the strings vibrate and this creates sounds. The bridge then transmits this string vibration to a larger surface, i.e. the top of the instrument.
The body of the instrument, to which the top is connected, then serves as a "loudspeaker" and transmits the sound louder.
The sound can also be adjusted via the bridge. The recesses in the bridge are individually trimmed and also depending on the sound of the instrument
the thickness of the web is corrected again if necessary.

varnish care

The rosin dust settles on the top every time you play. It is therefore advisable to wipe the rosin off the top with a soft cloth after each game. The area between bridge and fretboard gets particularly dusty. If you hardly ever clean this spot, the rosin can even form a kind of connection with the paint. The dust can then no longer be removed.
It is advisable to use two cloths for cleaning: one for the area in front of the bridge and the second for the rest of the instrument.
In the online shop, as well as in the shop of UEBEL - since 1725 you will also find a recommended polish for the paint care of the sensitive instrument paint.

Pegs

Both of the following care tips refer to well-fitted pegs that are technically correct.

The two most common problems are:

A peg goes too hard
Carefully remove the string from the peg and the peg from the peg box. At the point where the peg runs in the peg box, you can usually see this on the shiny spot on the peg, apply some peg soap. Then insert the swirl again, twisting it back and forth a little so that the swirl soap can be distributed
A peg goes too easily and this causes it to slip and not hold the tune.
If the peg turns too easily, use the peg chalk as described above. This stops the slipping vortex.
We will soon be showing this care work on the vertebrae in a YouTube video.
Or come to the shop of UEBEL - since 1725 for this care

Markneukirchen , the music town in the Vogtland

Markneukirchen, the music town in the Vogtland
Markneukirchen im Vogtland has been known for the manufacture of musical instruments for around 350 years. Almost all string, plucked, woodwind, brass, percussion and harmonica instruments used in European music, including bows, components and accessories, are manufactured in the city and the surrounding area.
The origins of this craftsmanship go back to Bohemian violin makers who, as religious refugees, settled in the Vogtland Musikwinkel around 1650.
The guild they founded in 1677 is the oldest still existing guild of musical instrument makers in Germany. In 1800 there were already around 80 violin making workshops and manufactories in the small town of Markneukirchen.
Around the year 1900, around 50 percent of the world's instrument and component production came from Markneukirchen and the surrounding area.
Visitors interested in music who come to the town of Markneukirchen should also visit the Musical Instrument Museum. There are more than 4,000 musical instruments, including 250 exhibits of musical cultures. It is also one of the oldest musical instrument museums in the world.
Vogtland musical instruments have been and are still being played in orchestras, ensembles and soloists around the world.
By the way, the current spelling of the place name was changed from "Markt Neukirchen" to Markneukirchen in 1858 by a royal decree from Dresden.
This is why the name “Neukirchen in Sachsen” can be found on old violin labels printed before 1858.

Impressions of Markneukirchen

Cremona

The city of Cremona (Italy) is particularly known for its centuries-old tradition in violin making. Well-known violin makers such as the members of the Amati family, Carlo Bergonzi, the masters of the Guarneri family and above all the famous Antonio Stradivari made the city of Cremona known worldwide.
Cremona has dedicated the "Museo del Violino" to violin making. In this museum you can follow the 5th century of violin making and also see some masterpieces of the most famous violin makers.

Fiddle or violin

Fiddle or Violin?
Is a fiddle and a violin the same?
Both words refer to one and the same instrument.
The origin of the word "violin" is unclear. Very early in the 12th century one finds the designations "gīga", later "gîge" from which the word violin could come.
As early as the 13th century, the word "gigue" was used to describe a stringed instrument.
The term violin comes from the French word "violon" or from the Italian "violino".
The first mentions of both words can be found around the middle of the 16th century.
The terms fiddle and violin are both common nowadays.
In the past, however, a violin was also understood to mean instruments such as the viola or the cello.

What determines the sound of the violin

Determining the right thickness of tonewood for a violin or other stringed instrument is a major challenge for any instrument maker. But this thickness or strength is crucial to get the desired sound of the instrument.

Of course you have reference values of antique classic master instruments that you can fall back on. But each wood is unique and must be individually and skilfully tuned.

The sound post or soul of the violin

The sound post is one of those parts of the violin that affects the quality of the sound.
Its function is to transmit the vibrations from the top to the bottom, allowing the whole violin body to vibrate.
The violin reed post has a standard position, but if you want to change the sound, slight changes can be made to the position, for example to emphasize the E string more.
The reed block consists of a cylindrical spruce rod, which is placed in the instrument with the help of the reed block retainer and is only held in place by light pressure.
It is not glued into the instrument, as many think!

The Bass bar

The bass bar is there to support the top when the strings press on it. But the bass bar is not only a support but also the heart of the sound of the instrument.
Well placed improves the sound of a violin, viola or cello.
The bass bar manufacturing process begins with the selection of the wood. Split wood should be used to keep the growth rings intact. It is best to use the same top wood from which the top was made or older spruce tone wood than the top of the instrument.
This should also be taken into account when replacing the bass bar.

The bow hair

The rosin, which is a mixture of tree resins, ensures that the bow hairs adhere to the instrument strings. With the missing rosin, the bow glides over the strings without producing a great deal of sound, and when the rosin is applied, the bow hairs then stick to them, so to speak.
Tail hair is used to hair the bows. After cleaning, these hairs are attached to the bow bar between the head and the frog. The hair can then be tightened with the screw of the bow.
It is important to always relax the bow after the game!
Sometimes dirt builds up on the bow hairs due to contact with the hands. It is advisable to have this dirt cleaned by a violin maker or bow maker.
As on the instrument, the rosin dust also collects on the bow stick. Please remove this with a soft cloth.
If the bow screw turns with difficulty, you can carefully rub the thread with dry curd soap. If this does not eliminate the sluggishness of the bow screw, the violin maker or bow maker must eliminate the cause.
Since bow hairs become "smooth" over time, the hairs should be renewed regularly by the violin maker or bow maker.
Incidentally, the most expensive bow hairs come from Mongolia. The horsehair from there is almost white in color. Bleach would damage the structure of the hair and make it unusable.
The workshop of UEBEL - since 1725 also offers the hairdressing service.
If you would like to use the 24-hour hair treatment service, please make an appointment.