Montagnana was an important figure in italian violin making, especially venetian which has brought him to new heights together with Guarnieri and Serafin. They were able to learn from each other, Montagnana stood out because in his instruments there is no trace of detail or the Cremonese discipline. You can observe a uniqueness, individuality of … Continue reading Montagnana cello
Category Archives: Cellos
Once the turning was one, I began shaping the blocks with a file and a card scraper. I varnished the piece using black lacquer (for the finishing) and an oil-resin varnish that I then buffed.
To craft the tuning pegs, several types of wood can be used: ebony, rosewood, boxwood, pear wood and jujube wood. I used wild pear wood, since it is harder than the common variety of pear tree. I then used a manual lathe and different gouges to shape the pieces.
The Cremonese 1715 was crafted by Antonio Stradivari during his most flourishing working period, when he was about 60 years old. Its proportions and rounding are said to be of great inspiration for the new generations of luthiers. This instrument was played by many famous musicians, such as Darius Gras, Jules Garcin, David Laurie, Joseph … Continue reading Crafting a Cremonese violin
Crafting a Montagnana cello has been such a fulfilling experience. As I already explained in the last posts, the cello was crafted following the model by Domenico Montagnana, a famous luthier that was born in 1686 in Lendinara and was active in Venice, in M.Matteo Sellas’ workshop. He then started his own workshop around 1721. … Continue reading Domenico Montagnana cello: photo gallery