Violin

The Violin
The violin is a stringed instrument that is played with a bow. It has four strings, and a fret-less finger board. Although changes in the proportions of the violin have been made, the basic structure has not changed much since it's birth in the 16th century. The art of violin making lost a lot after the early 18th century. The early "masters" (violin makers) seem to have had a "secret" that the modern makers simply can't figure out. There are some who say that the former masters secret was in how they picked their wood. But no one can figure out how they did it. Who says things get better with time? Visit our question and answer forum. Making a violin is a long, painstaking, and uncertain art. Many things are still unknown about how different techniques will affect the sound of the instrument. The front and back of the violin are made from two different kinds of wood. Usually maple for the back, and Spruce for the front (or "belly"). The pieces must be held together by "joints" and "glue" that must hold up for, sometimes, centuries. The "bass-bar" is added, along with the "sound post" (usually made of pine). Then the "bridge" and strings go on. For more about violins (their construction and maintenance), check out Violin Making by Hans Johannsson.