Customer Reviews

Violin Repair Guide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was a little hard to follow in places but I think it is good for the price. The author really tries to guide you step by step through detailed processes. It's true it does not cover the fixing of wood cracks, perhaps because the author may consider it to be major restoration rather than repair. I think it is best on bow rehairing, and on nut, bridge and soundpost repairs. It does touch on seam re-gluing and on fingerboard repair and neck re-set, but very basically. There are some typos and occasionally something is described out of place, such as a rehairing clamp is referred to on p. 9 but not fully described until p. 12.

content mostly for violin, step by step on bow rehairing, and general maintenance, i.e. peg/bridge fitting, etc. not exactly instrument repairing, i.e., i was looking for how to deal with crack, how to open up an old violin if i have to, etc., none of these discussed in the book. looks like author turned his years of work notes into a book with a big title. in terms of illustration, except a photo of the author in his shop, there is not a single photo of the tools or process steps, all sketches and many of them not easily relate to what is saying...good cover design, hmmm

Mr. Atria did an excellent job in Part I on bow rehairing. There were sufficient details explained to accomplish this task not only for the violin but viola and cello. In steps where there was a difference among the three (dimensions etc.) each instrument was covered.

However, Part II Instrument Repair and Restoration seemed to be written in an extremely abbreviated fashion unlike the first part. Worse yet was that other than a gatuitous line drawing of the viola and cello peg box (showing the string names; why?) there is no mention of viola nor cello. The appendix with a few viola/cello measurements is of no value for part two.

Had Mr. Atria completed Part II as he had done Part I this would be a very valuable book. Henry Stobel's Useful Measurements for Violin Makers covers viola and cello (and Bass) completely including templates but is not a well presented as Mr. Atria's book.

If Mr. Atria completes his book and produces a version two of it, I will line up to buy it.

But for now it is only of value for the violin.

The book is titled "Violin Repair" it showed how to set up a violin but not how to make repairs.

A very handy book for any musician. The instructions are easy to follow. Worth buying to be able to handle minor repairs.

The book is a lot of help in many areas, especially bow rehairing, which is not a simple process.

Dear Seller,

Thank you for your given book - Violin Repair Guide. It will help me to do something as repair a bow and the some

of the violin restoration jobs later. Thank you again for

your fast delivery and wonderful quality of the book.

Gang Jiang

17 December 2008

The book has some good information in it. BUT the descriptions of the work must have been translated from some other planet. I have done 4 bows with it and every time it confused me as to his left side or my left side,I have written a lot of notes in the book. At this point I might as well write my own version of what he or she is talking about, because you just can't follow what the heck they are talking about.