Links
David T. Van Zandt, Violin Maker in Seattle
Maker of baroque and modern violins, provider of superior links for information on violin making and violin makers
The Process of Violin Making
David Gusset, Maker of Violins, Violas and Violoncellos. Good information on making and caring for instruments.
Violin Making by Hans Johannsson
Nice site with lots of information for someone thinking about getting into instrument making
David Rubio
A violin maker with some excellent ideas and a very nice web site packed with information.
Trapezoidal Fiddles
Early in the 18th century Felix Savart designed an easy to make violin that is described in "Violin Making, As It Was and Is." The design is still being build today, and here is a link to a builder.
Musicians and Injuries
A resource for musicians with injuries or pain
Julie Lyonn Lieberman's Home Page
Books and videos on playing without physical stress, avoiding repetitive stress injuries. Books on violin improvisation, world music and playing in a variety of styles.
H.S. Wake's Web Site
Books and video tapes on string instrument making and bow rehair and repair. My main source of information.
Henry Strobel's Web Site
Books and video tapes on string instrument making and repair. For me a secondary source of information. I read his books and used some ideas here and there but I relate better to Wake. Many people use Strobel's books as their primary source.
Woodcraft
Woodworking tools. Gouges, chisels, knives and planes as well as drill presses and bandsaws. Lots of tool sharpening supplies.
The Guild of American Luthiers
A national organization for makers of string instruments. They have an excellent quarterly journal called "American Luthier" and also lots of plans for instruments. Back issues of all or most of the journals are available from them.
The Catgut Acoustic Society
An organization devoted to scientific research into the accoustics of string instruments. If you are interested in the technical aspects of violin accoustics these are the people for you. Carleen Hutchings, who wrote the article in the Scientific American that first got me interested in violins is a founder of this organization.
Galpin Society Welcome Page
An organization dedicated to the study of early musical instruments
Experiment in Musical Intellegence
Another Link to Musical Intellegence
A couple of articles about David Cope's music composition program. Read these and be amazed, then do a search on David Cope. He has a book out, complete with CD that includes a simple version of his software. As far as I know he does not give out complete current versions. One of my daydreams that begins to look possible with the speed of today's processors is a real time interactive jamming partner. Imagine playing some Grappelli CD's for a program and a few minutes later trading eights with that program and having it answer your licks in the style of Grappelli.
For good measure, how about the computer as artist!
The computer program Aaron is a creation of artist Harold Cohen who programmed Aaron in a personal investigation of what is art. Aaron's output is art that most people would be proud to have created, but Aaron just follows rules and has no idea what it's output means in human terms. What does that mean? I don't know, but it is fascinating that Mr. Cohen's investigation only asks the same question louder.
Fiddle Farmers
A lot of information about fiddles. What's the difference between fiddles and violins? I make violins, but I play fiddles. Violinists perform, fiddlers play.