One reason a button has an ebony crown is to hide a repair. All the force of the string is concentrated on trying to pull the neck out and break the button. The purfling creates weakness at that point. A quite light knock can break the button off. You can't repair it by just gluing it back. You have to insert a new slip of wood, setting it securely into the back. But of course you can't allow that to be seen, so you make it about a half of the thickness of the button, then you glue (this is harder to describe than to do !!) ... you glue a thinned button on to it. Now you can only detect the repair if you look at the button and see that it's actually two separate pieces of wood glued together. Solution: an ebony crown.
Thank-you, your videos are excellent and very informative! This was a detail I hadn't noticed on my old (pre-1890) instruments until you mentioned it here, and one of them does have it, and it is the better quality instrument over the other two!🙂🎻
If you will notice, your older fiddle may not have a scroll-graft. To get the 1/4 inch & correct neck angle, the heel of neck was thinned, then neck raised, then filled with ebony. A running peg was a re-purposing of a worn or broken peg.
A belated sincere thanks for the info. On button not touching the transome of bow. I think this little oversigjt maybe why I sounded so mediocher in grammar school on violin. I am getting now wonderful tone from my violin. Thank you Mr. RUSS! FOR YOUR TIP!
Apparently I was over tightening my bow. I have found a laxer bow hair allows delicate frequencies to resonate in the body of the violin. I must have been checking the tone from my instrument for nearly fourty years! Thank you Mr.Russ entirely greatful. I have new enthusiasm for violin now! Gratzi!
Hi Edgar, thank you and I learned a lot from your channel. May I ask about the faded lip layering. It is a cremonese tradition that they usually strip off the oil varnish at the edge of the belly of the violin and also the edge of the scroll
Also, when using old neck by recurring it, there is space that needs to be closed. A worn out EBONY running peg has been used for this for over 100 years.
Edgar, don't expect answer, but the more I learn, the less I know! Violins are my passion, @ 80 yrs. I'm really dumb! I've always observed that the enony button was used in the neck lengthing process, when the heel was raised up 5-7 mm to be a filler. It looks so good. It may be used for appearence. Most people used a broken ebony peg for stock material. I have an old instrument with a master maket label with an old neck graft, and a smaller label pasted on lower portion,"MADE IN GERMANY". Do I have a master violin or did someone go to the trouble to graft a neck in making a copy? Was this violin disguized for travel?
really to be honest Edgar i think it looks really nice . how ever as far as sweat from your hands i would imagine it has more to do with moister and salt . of course rubbing over time . why not make the button or the crown out of some sort of man made materials that would laugh in the face of moister and salt and rubbing like a composite material ?
One reason a button has an ebony crown is to hide a repair. All the force of the string is concentrated on trying to pull the neck out and break the button. The purfling creates weakness at that point. A quite light knock can break the button off. You can't repair it by just gluing it back. You have to insert a new slip of wood, setting it securely into the back. But of course you can't allow that to be seen, so you make it about a half of the thickness of the button, then you glue (this is harder to describe than to do !!) ... you glue a thinned button on to it. Now you can only detect the repair if you look at the button and see that it's actually two separate pieces of wood glued together. Solution: an ebony crown.
Again pleasure listening to the master. Esthetics rules.
nice xplanation Edgar, thx so much. greatings from Brazil.
Thank-you, your videos are excellent and very informative! This was a detail I hadn't noticed on my old (pre-1890) instruments until you mentioned it here, and one of them does have it, and it is the better quality instrument over the other two!🙂🎻
If you will notice, your older fiddle may not have a scroll-graft. To get the 1/4 inch & correct neck angle, the heel of neck was thinned, then neck raised, then filled with ebony. A running peg was a re-purposing of a worn or broken peg.
I’ve seen these and probably played one or two with these but, yeah I think like you said it may protect the wood from sweat that way. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It’s a nice little touch. I think it looks fancy. I’m just eccentric enough to not mind some asymmetry in my instruments. It gives them character.
The instrument retains its symmetry
Thank you again! A very enjoyable and interesting video as always!
It's a nice finishing touch.
Very informative and artistically created. Thanks for the explanation.
Thanks for explaining this point. I always thought it was a decoration only to show skill level.
Think i might try it on my next violin
Thanks. Love that G violin you made.
My instrument has that crown. I like it
A belated sincere thanks for the info. On button not touching the transome of bow. I think this little oversigjt maybe why I sounded so mediocher in grammar school on violin. I am getting now wonderful tone from my violin. Thank you Mr. RUSS! FOR YOUR TIP!
Apparently I was over tightening my bow. I have found a laxer bow hair allows delicate frequencies to resonate in the body of the violin. I must have been checking the tone from my instrument for nearly fourty years! Thank you Mr.Russ entirely greatful. I have new enthusiasm for violin now! Gratzi!
Hi Edgar, thank you and I learned a lot from your channel. May I ask about the faded lip layering. It is a cremonese tradition that they usually strip off the oil varnish at the edge of the belly of the violin and also the edge of the scroll
Very interesting to learn why they put the ebony crown on the Italians when refitting the necks. Were these crowns mostly installed by Vuillaume?
Also, when using old neck by recurring it, there is space that needs to be closed. A worn out EBONY running peg has been used for this for over 100 years.
Help! What is the exact length of the 4/4 cello strings? What is the distance between the body and the bridge?
Edgar, don't expect answer, but the more I learn, the less I know! Violins are my passion, @ 80 yrs. I'm really dumb! I've always observed that the enony button was used in the neck lengthing process, when the heel was raised up 5-7 mm to be a filler. It looks so good. It may be used for appearence. Most people used a broken ebony peg for stock material. I have an old instrument with a master maket label with an old neck graft, and a smaller label pasted on lower portion,"MADE IN GERMANY". Do I have a master violin or did someone go to the trouble to graft a neck in making a copy? Was this violin disguized for travel?
What about the black dot below it (when it's there)?
Black dot. Two pins were used to keep plate position, ebony pin after plate reglued.
really to be honest Edgar i think it looks really nice . how ever as far as sweat from your hands i would imagine it has more to do with moister and salt . of course rubbing over time . why not make the button or the crown out of some sort of man made materials that would laugh in the face of moister and salt and rubbing like a composite material ?
I like the look of the ebony, but do not have it on any of my violins.
many copyists put that there to cheat the buyer it actually does nothing regards the tone or sound or playability of the instrument