17 #1

1998 (Proc. 26th Conv., Part II)

Awards Presented at the 1998 VSA Competition

3

Audio Calipers: Interpreting the Work of Isaak Vigdorchik

Tom Croen

5

A Holistic View of Violin Acoustics

Norman Pickering

29

Varnishing Techniques: An 18th-Century European Mania, a Lasting Fascination

Christine Arveil

55

Innovation in Violin Making

Joseph Curtin

75

Ole Bull: A Renaissance Man

Amnon Weinstein

85

Shop Safety

Charles Rufino

127

Le Messie

Stewart Pollens

151

17 #2

Nov. 1999 (Proc. 27thConv.)

Guided Tour of the Library of Congress Collection of Stringed Instruments

Robert Bein

11

The Nature of Varnish and the Care of Historic Coatings

Mel Wachowiak

51

Guided Tour of the Smithsonian Collection Of Stringed Instruments

Robert Bein

67

The Janos Scholz Cello Bow Collection

Yung Chin

87

Photos from the Convention

William Sloan

97

SpectraFoo: A New Tool for Acoustical Analysis

B.J. Buchalter and Joseph Regh

187

An Introduction to the Life of G. B. Guadagnini

Duane Rosengard

123

17 #3

Nov. 2000 (Proc. 28th Conv., Pt. 1)

Violin Making in Turin: 1800-1870

Philip Kass

27

The Optical Properties of Wood

Geary Baese

57

Why Strings Sound Different

Norman Pickering and Fan Tao

73

A Familiar Ring: An Introduction to Tree Ring Dating

Henri Grissino-Mayer

93

Lecture/Demonstration: The Alexander Technique

William Conable

117

The Dendochronology of Stradivari’s Violins

John Topham

133

Messiah Redux

Stewart Pollens

159

The Messie: A Panel Discussion

181

2000 VSA Competition Summary

Barbara Van Itallie

223

Berend Moller Memorial Award Winner: D. William Halsey

237

18 #1

Nov. 2000 (Proc. 28th Conv., Pt. 2)

Set Up of Instruments

Rene Morel

3

The Knopf Bow-Making Family of Markneukirchen

Klaus Grunke

21

Nicolas Lupot, His Contemporaries and Pupils: Violin Making in Paris from 1770 to 1835

Roland Baumgartner

45

Varnishing Today and the Old Italian Look

Joseph Curtin

89

Testimonial Dinner for Albert Mell

John Cassidy

109

From Acoustics Lab to Violin: Engineering and Violin-Making Perspectives

Oliver Rodgers and Pamela Anderson

119

Viol Pleading: What Are Violin Makers and the Stringed Instrument Industry Doing to Foster String Playing in America?

David Lusterman

147

The Science of the Art of Bowing

F.J. Testa

173

A Concert by the Byron Berline Band

Byron Berline

193

18 #2

Nov. 2001 (Proc. 29th Conv.)

The Bowed String and the Player

Fan Tao

13

String Motion Revisited

Wolfgang Vogl

31

Strings: The Third Element 

John V. Cavanaugh, Jim Cavanaugh and Caryn Patterson

61

How to Anticipate Future Changes in Strings

Bernard Maillot

71

VSA-Sponsored Trip to Study the Messiah

Helen Hayes and Joseph Regh

91

Dendrochronological Dating of Stringed Instruments: A Reevaluation

Henri Grissino-Mayer, Paul Sheppard and Malcolm Cleaveland

127

Reproducing Historical Gut Strings: A Modern Approach 

Dan Larson

175

Panel Discussion: String Selection

Norman Pickering, Ken Meyer, William Monical and Bruno Price

203

18 #3

Nov. 2002 (Proc. 30th Conv., Pt. 1)

Forum: VSA-Oberlin College Program 

Helen Hayes, Moderator

25

Violin Acoustics: A Perspective 

Fan Tao

49

The Hill Method of Bow Making 

Tim Baker

63

Photos from the Convention

119

Wood Borers and Bow Bugs 

Ben Stinner

123

Biology and Ecology of Violin Wood

Ben Stinner

143

Drying Oils in Varnish 

Gregg Alf

169

The Pernambuco Initiative

Yung Chin and Charles Espey

185

An Overview of the 2002 Competition

Barbara Van Itallie

215

19 #1

Nov. 2002 (Proc. 30th Conv., Pt. 2)

Grading Methods for Pernambuco 

Joseph Regh

3

Transverse Vibration Modes in Violin Bows

Norman Pickering

29

Remembering Hill Fittings and the Men Who Made Them 

Eric Meyer

47

Sound Adjustment Forum

Guy Rabut and David Burgess

69

The Richardson Tertis Viola 

Wilfred Saunders

85

Copying an Historical Frog 

Paul Siefried

101

Violins and the Law 

Dominik Musafia

181

The Playing Parts of the Bow: Focusing on the Stick

Benoit Rolland

201

19 #2

Nov. 2003 (Proc. 31st Conv.)

What Musicians Want in a Stringed Instrument

Joel Becktell, Moderator

15

Thickness Graduation Mapping: Surprises And Discoveries

Jeffrey Loen

41

The Piatigorsky Foundation

Evan Drachman

67

Perspectives on the Authentication of Bows

Paul Childs

87

Violin Expertise and the Instruments of the Classical Period 

Robert Bein

139

The Violins of Lorenzo Guadagnini?

Chris Reuning

153

Expertise Forum

Robert Bein, Paul Childs and Chris Reuning

189

The VSA-Oberlin Setup Workshop

David Burgess

207

19 #3

2005

The Français House of Violin Making: A Retrospective

Gael Français

3

In Memoriam: Oscar Shumsky, March 22, 1917 - July 24, 2000

Eric Shumsky, Aaron Rosand, Emanuel Vardi, Bernard Greenhouse, David Gross, Eugene Duichev, William & Mona Reisman Schoen and Albert Mell

23

Nicolas Denis' Legacy

Philip Kass

37

Handel's Sonata in D Major

Albert Mell

53

An Interview with Marten Cornelissen

Christopher White

71

Book Review: A Fiddler's Tale by Louis and Annette Kaufman

Albert Mell

79

19 #4

2005 (VSA Papers 1 #1)

Introduction to VSA Papers

Helen Hayes

3

Editor’s Perspective

Brian Newnam

5

A Rational Look at the Classical Italian Coatings

Koen Padding

11

Bent Splines as a Possible Origin for Violin and Guitar Outlines

Marty Kasprzyk

26

Shedding Light on Jean-Delphin Alard: 19th-Century Violinist, Pedagogue, and Composer

Deborah Weagel

35

Comparing the Sound of Golden-Age and Modern Violins: Long-Time-Average Spectra

Anders Buen

51

Tonal Tests of Prizewinning Violins at the 2004 VSA Competition

Oliver E. Rodgers

75

Coupled String-Bridge Resonances 

Norman C. Pickering

96

On Graduating the Thickness of Violin Plates to Achieve Tonal Repeatability

Nigel Harris

111

Diagnosing and Making Tonal Improvements to Stringed Instruments

Christopher Germain

124

Bridge Tuning: Methods and Equipment 

Joseph Curtin

132

Photography for Instrument Makers 

Terry Borman and Scott Rawley

140

20 #1

2004 (Proc. of 32nd Conv., Pt. 1)

Some Surprising Recent Discoveries Regarding the Origins of the Violin 

David Rivinus

29

The Highest Strength with the Least Material 

Peter Paul Prier

45

The Analysis of a Violin 

Charles Beare

53

The Main Proportions of the Violin Family 

François Denis

69

Four Tourte Bow Makers with Four Violin Makers of the Same Period 

Bernard Millant

81

Life and Work of Eugene Sartory 

Lynn A. Hannings

157

2004 Competition Summary and Comparison with the 2002 and 2000 Competitions 

Barbara Van Itallie

217

Awards Presented at the 2004 VSA Competition in Portland, Oregon 

221

20 #2

Summer 2006 VSA Papers

The King Cello and the Painted Decoration on the Amati Instruments Made for the Court of Charles IX of France, 1560-1574 

Andrew Dipper

15

The Sellas Family of Violin and Lute Makers of Venice, 1610-1760 

Stefano Pio

79

From Where Did the Violin’s Figure-8 Outline Come? 

Marty Kasprzyk

100

Violin Cases: History and Development from the 17th to the 21st Century

Glenn P. Wood

117

On Projection -- Long-Time-Average Spectral Analysis of Four Played Violins

Erik Jansson

143

What Determines the “Quality” of Violins (An Essay for Makers) 

Pamela J. Anderson and Oliver E. Rodgers

156

Tap Tones and Weights of Old Italian Violin Tops 

Joseph Curtin

162

Sophisticated Testing by Tapping 

Oliver E. Rodgers

175

Wing Fling 

Oliver E. Rodgers

181

Response Time in Violins 

Norman C. Pickering

184

Two Aspects of Baroque Violin Technique, Part I: The Frog Hold 

Penny Schwarze

189

Creating Strategies: Preparing for Performance 

Martha Caplin

207

The Andrea Amati 500 Conference in Cremona

Carlo Chiesa

230

OCTET 2005: Premiere Convention of the New Violin Family Association

Robert Spear

234

20 #3

2004 (Proc. of 32nd Conv., Pt. 2)

In Memoriam: Albert Mell (1917-2007) 

Philip Kass

3

In Memoriam: Oliver E. Rodgers (1915-2007) 

Pamela Anderson

9

Who Was the Maker? 

Roland Baumgartner

13

Panel Discussion on f-Holes 

Tom King and Andrew Dipper (Christopher Germain, Moderator)

47

Cello Making, Models, and Measurements 

Frank Ravatin

88

Considerations on the Authentication of Instruments: A Historic View 

Philip Kass

100

The Amiata Summit

Gregg Alf

115

The Amati Foundation

Bill Townsend

115

The Federation Exhibit of American Violin and Bow Makers

John Montgomery

115

The International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative 

Lynn Hannings and Yung Chin

146

21 #1

2007 (VSA Papers)

In Memoriam: Robert Bein, 1950-2007

James Warren

13

Violin Cases of the 18th and 19th Centuries in their Historical Settings

Glenn P. Wood

15

The Life and Work of Matteo Goffriller of Venice 1659-1742

Stefano Pio

31

On Timbre Parameters and Sound Levels of Recorded Old Violins

Anders Buen

57

The B0 & B-1 Resonances: A Study of Coupled Oscillators

Bill Atwood and Brian Keeney

69

Use of String Vibration to Analyze the Acoustics of a Musical Instrument

Oded Kishony

77

Surprising Regularity between Plate Modes 2 and 5 and the B1 Corpus Modes: Part I

George Bissinger

83

Acoustic Properties of Thermally Modified Spruce for Use for Violins

Alexander Pfriem, Klaus Eichelberger and André Wagenführ

102

A Wood Viscoelasticity Measurement Technique and Applications to Musical Instruments: First Results

S. Le Conte, S. Vaiedelich, and M. François

112

Stradivari’s Varnish: A Review of Scientific Findings—Part I

Bruce (Hwan-Ching) Tai

119

A Recreation of the Particulate Ground Varnish Layer Used on Many Violins Made before 1750

Nigel Harris, Roger Sheldon, and James Johnston

145

The Use of Ultraviolet Light Sources in Lutherie

Koen Padding

160

Techniques for Scroll and Pegbox Repair and Restoration

Georg Albeck

166

Replacement of a Violin Bow Frog Tongue

Jerry Pasewicz

174

Two Aspects of Baroque Violin Technique, Part II: The Low Hold

Penny Schwarze

185

A Practical Guide to the Art of Collaborative Sight-Reading of Chamber Music for Experienced Musicians

Peter Lang

203

Thoroughly Modern Modal Meets Three Old Italian Master Violins

George Bissinger, Danial Rowe, David Oliver, Vikrant Palan, John Foley, Joseph Curtin, Ara Gregorian, Joseph V. Regh, Fan-Chia Tao, and Sam Zygmuntowicz

213

Fiddles, Ticks, and Violins: Report on Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Camp, Nashville, TN, June 2006

Maiko Kawabata

223

Gio: Paolo Maggini in Brescia: International Violinmaking Exhibition

Philip Kass

226

Les violons du roi: Report on the Cremona Exhibition Andrea Amati Opera Omnia

Philip Kass

230

Cremona Mondomusica 2007

Philip Kass

234

21 #2

2007 (Proc. 23^rd Conv.)

American Violinmakers 

David Bromberg

13

The Appraisal Process 

Jeffrey Holmes, Philip Kass, and Christopher Reuning

38

Innovation and Shifting Paradigms: State of the Art 

Norman C. Pickering

60

Innovation and Shifting Paradigms in Violin Design 

Guy Rabut

62

Innovation and Shifting Paradigms: Innovation in Bow Making 

Benoît Rolland

82

The Amiata Summit 

Gregg Alf with contributions by Peter Beare, Raymond Schryer, Jan Spidlen, Luca Primon, and Andrew Ryan

92

Real-Time Tonal Modifications: The “Gluey” Project

Samuel Zygmuntowicz

110

Innovations in Bass Making and a Playing Demonstration

Jim Ham and Craig Butterfield

127

Building Ultra-Light Instruments

Joseph Curtin

156

Designing and Building Ultra-Light Instruments 

Douglas Martin

165

Two Professional Musicians Comment on Playing the Instruments in the Festival of Innovation Mini-Exhibition 

184

22 #1

2009 (VSA Papers)

In Memoriam: Carleen Hutchins, 1911-2009

Robert Spear

13

The Appearance of the Violin in Poland and Italian Links to Paths of Polish Royal Patronage

Tyrone Greive

18

The Stradivari Model G, the Golden Section, and Modern Violin Design

Robert J. Spear

38

The Evolution of Violin Vibrato in the 20th Century

Colin Gough

49

Stradivari’s Varnish: A Review of Scientific Findings—Part II

Bruce H. Tai

60

Development of the Chemical-Material Paradigm of Cremonese Violins: Part I—The Wood of the Masters

Joseph Nagyvary

91

Production of Superior Wood for Violins by Use of Wood Decay Fungi

Francis W.M.R. Schwarze, Melanie Spycher, and Siegfried Fink

116

Tailoring Spruce for Musical Instruments

Joseph Regh

125

Experiments with Physical-Etch Treatment of Spruce Violin Tops

Todd Matus

135

Experiments on the Relationship between the Resonance Frequencies of the B1Corpus Bending Modes, Rib Thickness, and Free Plate Tuning

Robert Wilkins and Jie Pan

144

Taper and Camber of Violin Bows

John E. Graebner and Norman C. Pickering

160

On the Prominence of the Violin Bridge Hill in Notes of Played Music

Erik V. Jansson

169

Acoustical Analysis of Five Cremonese Instruments in the Collection of the Library of Congress

Alvin Thomas King

177

Measuring Violin Sound Radiation Using an Impact Hammer

Joseph Curtin

186

A Comparative Study of the Hammered Bridge Response and the Bowed StringResponse of the Violin

Nigel Harris and Frank Fahy

210

X-ray CT Measurements of the Internal Corpus Volume and a New Soundpost-Corpus Volume Relationship for Stringed Instruments of the Violin Family

Steven Sirr and John Waddle

224

CT Detection of Shear Forces in Bent Wooden Plates: Evidence that the Amatis Did Not Bend their Violin Plates

Steven Sirr and John Waddle

236

Review of the Uses of Computed Tomography for Analyzing Instruments of the Violin Family with a Focus on the Future

Terry Borman and Berend Stoel

239

The Peg Ringer—A Novel Tool to Repair Peg Hole Cracks

Joseph Regh

251

Report on the François Xavier Tourte Forum

James Warren

255

22 #2

2006 Convention Proceedings Issue

Varnish, Then and Now: The Composition and History of Oil Varnish from a Maker’s Perspective

Joe Robson

24

A Student’s Life in Mittenwald in the 1960s

Robert Cauer

31

The Mirecourt Technique: A Personal Perspective

Christophe Landon

35

Hungarian Violinmakers from 1800 to 1950, the Budapest School of Copyists, and the Reményi Shop

Michael E. Reményi

50

A Fine Mess-The Surprising Order in the f-Hole Methods of Joseph Guarneri

del Gesú, Andrew Ryan

67

The Tête-Bêche Model Bow

Gilles Nehr

73

Rethinking Rehairing

Benoît Rolland

81

Alternative Woods for Bow Making

Lynn Hannings and John Aniano

91

Progress on Ultra-Light Cellos

Jim Ham and T.B. (Ted) White

99

Tribute to Norman Pickering: New Light on Bow Action

Michael Gouzman

13

Marketing Strategies

Bernd Müsing

15

Marketing: An Overview of Strategies and Techniques

Stefan Hersh

26

Recent Developments in the Pernambuco Trade

Celso de Mello, Vito Vissicaro, Renato Casara, and Marco Raposo

35

The Strad 3-D Project: New Ways to See the Violin

Danial G. Rowe

45

Visualizing Violin Sound

Martin Schleske

61

23 #1

2007 Convention Proceedings Issue

The Best of American Violinmakers

David Bromberg

14

Review of the Brescian Exhibition

Christopher Reuning

42

Violinmaking in the American Heartland and the West Coast

Christopher Germain

59

Violinmaking on the Eastern Seaboard

Philip Kass

86

Spruce Surface Modifications for Improving the Tone of Musical Instruments

Joseph Regh

111

Tuning up Baroque

William Monical

123

Panel Discussion: Contemporary Viola Making

Marilyn Wallin, Christopher, Germain, Guy Rabut, Bill Scott,and Mark Womack

133

Looking at Hair Tension as a Design Parameter in Violin Bows

Joseph Regh

142

Violin Dimensional Measurements

James Ham

149

Progress in Tone-Burst Analysis of Bowed Stringed Instruments

T.B. (Ted) White

152

Lutherie in Extreme Conditions

Geoffrey Allison

162

Panel Discussion: The Subject of Antiquing Instruments

Gregg Alf, Sharon Que, Elmar Oliveira, Philip Kass, Christopher Germain, and Andrew Ryan

173

Panel Presentation:The Strad3D Project

George Bissinger, Joseph Curtin, Joseph Regh, Fan-Chia Tao, and Sam Zygmuntowicz

186

23 #2

2008 Convention Proceedings Issue

The History of the VSA

Eric Chapman

22

It Is Only Fittings

Eric Meyer

33

VSA Competitions-An Analysis

Joseph Regh

63

Panel 1: Approaches to Copying Masterpiece Instruments

Tom Croen, Christopher Germain, and Feng Jiang

95

Panel 2: Conceptual Approaches to Violinmaking

George Stoppani, David Wiebe, and David Burgess

99

Panel 3: Special Methods for Repair and Restoration

Robert Cauer, Sharon Que, George Meiwes, and Jerry Pasewicz

104

Panel 4: Practical Advice on Shipping Stringed Instruments

Ellis Hershman, James Ham, and Ken Wise

118

Panel Discussion: String Education Success Stories-Reports from the Field

Judy Weigert Boussat, Bret P. Smith, and Sandra K. Jordan

121

Panel Discussion: China and Violin Mass Production

Haide Lin, Jay Ifshin, Qian Ni, Xueping Hu, and Sophie Chen

130

Panel Discussion: Violin Performance and Education in China

Weigang Li, Yi-Wen Jiang, and Honggang Li

139

Panel Discussion: Ascension of Chinese Luthiers to World-Class Violin Making

Feng Jiang, Quan Zheng, and Shu Sheng Kot

147

Panel Discussion: The Violin in China: A Look to the Future

Quan Zheng, Feng Jiang, Haide Lin, Shu Sheng Kot, Sophie Chen, and Qian Ni

152

23 #3

2008 Convention Proceedings Issue

History of Innovation of Bows

Yung Chin

3

Unanswered Questions about Bow Behavior

John Aniano

8

Camber versus Taper

John E. Graebner and Norman C. Pickering

12

Panel Discussion: Innovation in Bow Making

Yung Chin, Joseph Regh, Rodney Mohr, John Aniano, and John E. Graebner

21

Cello Neck Reinforcement

Jim Ham

29

Guitars

Harry Fleishman

37

Active Control of Violin Bridges

Charles Besnainou and Henri Boutin

45

The Smallest Pellegrina

David Rivinus

59

A Player’s View

Darol Anger

63

Ultralight Violins

Joseph Curtin

67

Update on the Strad3D Project

Samuel Zygmuntowicz

75

Stradivari’s Wood and Was It Treated? A CT Perspective

John Waddle and Steve Sirr

82

Violin Sound: What Can We Hear? What Can We Measure?

Joseph Curtin

98

Pernambuco Conservation: Programa Pau-Brasil

Lynn Hannings and Yung Chin

107

Bow Screw Threads and Standards

Steve Beckley

116

An Overview of Bow Tips from Tourte to Sartory

Matthew Wehling

125

24 #1

2009 Convention Proceedings Issue

A Message from the President

iii

Board of Directors

iv

Program of the 2009 Convention

v

About the Lecturers and Musicians

vii

Giuseppe filius Andrea Guarneri - Profiled from Two Perspectives

Philip J. Kass and Marilyn J. Wallin

1

American Fiddle Styles

Liz Carroll, Erin Shrader and Raffaello Stefanini

19

The Janos Scholz Cello Bow Collection

Yung Chin

28

Carleen Maley Hutchins - Her Life and Work

Norman Pickering, Tom King and Robert Spear

51

The Strad3D Project - Final Report

Samuel Zygmuntowicz

61

The Gagliano Family of Violinmakers of Naples

Christopher Reuning

69

VSA Membership Form

89

Inside Back Cover - Information for Presenters

24
#2

 VSA Papers

Editor's Perspectives

Brian Newnam

 5

About the Authors

 7

The Groblicz Dynasty of Early Polish Violin Making

Tyrone Greive

 13

Transitional Violin Setup

Stewart Pollens

 37

Documentary Evidence Concerning the Early History of Vincenzo Trusiano and the Panormo Family of Instruemnt Makers in Italy 

Giovanni Paolo Di Stefano

 51

About the Lecturers and Musicians