Workbench

Here is a collection of photo essays about building/restoration projects that are in progress or recently completed.

'Davidoff' cello

I am building a cello inspired by the famous 1673 ‘Davidoff’ Stradivari cello as played by Jacqueline du Pré and Yo-Yo Ma. I didn’t take pictures of the very first few steps including the making of the one-piece mold and the ribs etc, but I will try to document the building process going forward in more detail.   More...

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Paul Bailly violin button repair

 This beautiful violin is by the French maker that relocated to London. It had an unfortunate accident that resulted in a broken neck and button. Since the button was not original it was decided to replace it completely with a button graft.  More...

German cello restoration

 The cello came to me in a bad state — there were several cracks in the back and top and some damage near the endpin relating to a knot in the wood. The edges were also seriously worn and needed replacing and the pegs needed bushing.  More...

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Pegbox crack repair

The violin has a nasty crack from the A-peg hole to the edge. It is repaired using a spiral bush made from a thin maple shaving. The spiral bush will absorb the considerable force applied by the peg trying to open the crack again.  More...