“E
very maker does things a little differently. I can go to an exposition and pick up things on the table, and sometimes I can identify someone else’s work I’m familiar with,” says Amos Hargrave. We asked J.J. Hanson, Douglas Marples and Amos Hargrave to identify and explain some of the signature elements that separate the work of one luthier from another. Wood for the violin: Nearly all serious violin makers use spruce for the top portion of the violin, known as the sounding board. Maple from high altitudes is most commonly used for the back and sides of the violin.
Scroll: “The scroll is an important signature element of the instrument. The thought of ever carving it in one sitting would be mind-boggling.” — Hargrave
Neck: Occasionally someone might think one violin feels bigger than another, but they may not have a body length difference of more than one-quarter of an inch. “What they perceive as big might have to do with the shape of the neck, the position, how the neck is set in, whether it is off-centered a little bit to one side or the other, because that’s where their hands can hit the body of the instrument.” — Hargrave
Fingerboard: The fingerboard should be made of ebony—Africa’s solid, thick, black wood. “They call this ‘ebonized’ on the internet, and it’s not true ebony. It’s a soft wood that’s painted black and lacquered. It’s definitely something to stay away from. You cannot restore this because the wood is soft. It expands and contracts, becomes loose and falls apart.” — Hanson
Purfling: This traditionally is a thin layer of wood that’s dyed black and inserted as three narrow strips along the edges of the violin. “Usually cheap instruments have a painted-on purfling. If you have a painted purfling, then it’s a dead giveaway you have an inferior instrument in other aspects as well.” — Hanson “Purfling is a very individual-type thing. Whether or not it has much effect on the sound is probably debatable. But I wouldn’t discount its influence.” — Hargrave