Violin making has a long history that goes back to hundreds of years. Throughout that time the master violin makers have perfected the technique of creating instruments that can be a great contribution to the world of music. One thing that violin makers have realized early on is that the kind of wood needed for the proper manufacture of a good instrument is vital. That is why they started to experiment with a lot of wood that looks promising when it comes to producing sound.
Best Violin Wood- The most common types of wood use in violin making are spruce and maple. Actually these two woods are used for different parts of the violin. For example spruce is used for the top, or the part that is called as the soundboard. It is a very light material yet it also has strength and flexibility which is ideal for a material used for that part of the violin. Maple is use for the back part of the violin.
For the blocks and linings of the violin that gives it the strength of construction spruce and willow are used. Strength is the most important quality of wood used for that part since they are to hold the whole instrument together. For the fitting which includes the pegs and the tailpiece hardwood is required. There are several hardwoods used for this purpose. Ebony is a favourite material while boxwood and rosewood are also popular. The fingerboards in modern violins are made purely from ebony but in old and classical violins lighter woods were used by the classical makers because ebony was not so abundant.
The process of making violin starts from the moments that the trees from which the woods are to be taken are chosen. The most common practice is to pick a fully grown tree located on the northern slopes of a mountain at a high elevation. It is preferred that the wood be cut during the cold period and then they have to be stored and allowed to dry and age for several years before they are used for actually building a violin. That process took a lot of years and is a reflection of how things were done in the past. The violin makers were involved with the process starting from the cutting of tree down to testing an instrument. These days you can not expect to see the same level of craftsmanship that you can get in the modern violins.