Violinmaker reacts to 'Ancient Violin Restoration' Video

Master Violin Maker and Restorer Olaf Grawert reacts to violin restoration video. Will the repairer meet Olaf's standards? Can it be classified as a restoration?

Also if you are a repairer or like to tinker on violins, please take the time to find out proper violin Measurements. There is a great book by Henry Strobl called "Useful Measurements for Violin Makers" It will help you make sure you do things right. String players will appreciate it and getting it wrong can destroy possibilities for up and coming players.

While I comment on the way this person did the repair, remember to be kind to content creators... They use their time to create content for you. I do my videos to help educate string players so they can be the best they can with the right information.

00:00 Introduction
00:36 The start of the video
01:49 The violin and the workshop
03:57 Cleaning with what?
04:26 "Fitting" the fingerboard
09:39 The Pegs
10:45 Bridge
11:56 Gluing Joins
13:26 Cleaning and polishing
15:18 Putting everything together
16:18 The finished violin
17:52 Conclusion

#myviolinmaker, #olafgrawertviolin #violin

[edmiller]

The stringed instrument repair world varies greatly. Many repairs are done by poorly trained techs and not people like Olaf who is classically trained and does repairs the correct way. Thanks, Olaf!

[Fritz-Ashely]

legit luthier, sassy sense of humor, reaction video, just perfect.

[simplytwosetter]

In the beginning when he showed the tools I giggled so much lol. And at the part when he started to scratch (?) the violin, I can feel the pain, let alone Olaf! I love reaction videos like this! Thanks for sharing the pain (?), I mean the knowledge of violin repair. Please do more when you got time!

[fredygump]

The thing is, whenever I see the, "OMG, I restored a thing!" type video, I calmly select the "Don't Recommend Channel" option and continue to live a happy life!

[syraahmad]

I'm so glad you reviewed this! After watching your videos for a while, when this came up in my feed I was suspicious because even though I'm not a luthier, it seemed to not fit the standards you've always talked about in your videos. It's great to see that my intuition was spot on and I have learned things from your videos after all!

[talyrath]

Youtube: You like restoration videos *and* you like musical instrument videos. You’ll really like this video! Me: Oh, dear god, no. Make it stop.

[menuhin]

When I first saw that restoration video with quite a few questionable procedures (I'm just a violin-learner who has visited video workshops for a few times to take care of my violins), I immediately thought how Olaf may respond to it... Thank you!

[antoniopavanetto]

Dear Olaf, I work with microcontrollers and stuff like that but your dedication and detailed attention inspire me during handworking tasks. Those tasks are different but the attitude is common to both.

[publicclammer]

Love your videos! I played violin for a few years in the mid 50's when I was about 12. Started with a "practice" instrument when an uncle who was 2nd chair with the Hollywood Bowl sent me a violin that he had made in Nancy France when he was there in WW1. It was like getting out of an old rattletrap and into a Jaguar! It went back to him a few years later...but I still miss it and long for the feel of it - it was a work of art and a delight to play. Ah the memories!

[oakhurstaxe]

Ernie Ball shirt, defiantly guitar guy.
The Titebond was hide glue, not PVA (wrong but not horrible). From what I found, its the closest to real hide glue that doesn't require heating. I never used it (it expires quickly), but looked into it for convince. Its for people that want to use hide glue, but don't want to mix/heat it.
Olaf is right, just use hot hide glue. Its not hard and has way more advantages over anything else.

[tanjasofieschndorff]

I would love to see you do a restoration. I love to see you work 😍 It is always interesting ☺️

[taw]

What always sounds funny to me is the term of "hide glue" English speaking people use to speak about the hot glue used for violins. In fact there are no hides involved but bones and nerves. (hide glue only is too soft, the mixture of bone glue & nerve glue makes the best compromise between the hard (brittle) and soft (that could damp the vibrations)). You do not mention the other option often used by old German violin makers : fish glue. This is easier to use because you do not need heat and the time to set is longer... which is also a disadvantage in some cases.
Thank you for your interesting and instructive comments particularly on this video.
In general thank you for the topics you choose, the way you skilfully cover them (and also the pinch of humour you use to season them). I am a big fan : two thumbs up ! Sorry for my perfectible English (some may have guessed that I am French), this is a matter I try to improve day by day.
I do think that there are many old violins that deserve some work to get back to life again. Unfortunately, the labour costs of a professional luthier is generally far higher than the commercial value of most of these violins and this is the reason why some are thrown away and lots of them are just not taken care of. I try to contribute (and I am certain to be one amongst many) to resurect (for free) some outcasts and try to do this better and better... Best regards, Thierry-Antoine

[gofgwoodworking]

I am a master carpenter and have been doing furniture repair and restoration for 30 years. I cringed when I saw him go after the neck with a scraper, and I noticed there was not a plane onsite. Over the years I have had several customers approach me to repair various stringed instruments.... I always refer them to reputable luthiers, with all my experience I know it takes a special craftsman to work on these instruments. Thanks for a great video.

[chougland]

Olaf! Thanks for sharing your reactions to this tragic violin "restoration." You were so kind in your critique, too. I'm really, really enjoying your channel. Thanks a million for sharing!

[SculptyWorks]

NoOooo Olaf beat me to this reaction idea! 😱
Oh well, he did an excellent job of it! Great video, Olaf! 👍👍❤

That Titebond glue he used is a type of hide glue, sure. The big problem with it is that unlike the normal hot hide glue that luthiers use, the Titebond reacts very easily with moisture, and can become soft. Some folks swear by it, but really, there's no substitute for real hide glue that you cook yourself!

[michael_koski]

Olaf: "There's nothing too wrong with the way they fitted the pegs . . . I think my son can do better, though."

That was the greatest roast I've heard in a long time, OMW--
~ Ana

[tabriff]

That must have been painful for you to watch. Sadly it is one of quite a few videos along similar lines. What is worse, a lot of people, even if they recognise that the ‘restorer’ is not a luthier, still believe that the procedures and advice are correct, and genuine. Enough to make you cry.
PS Looks like a garage or basement ‘home workshop’. His t-shirt gives away his guitar repair background, but he’s just a happy hack, not a professional or an accomplished amateur, so many give-aways.
PPS Just seen the guitars hanging up, but as I said, his way of working, doesn’t impress. I wouldn’t let him fix an instrument of mine. The worst kind of channel, and will attract huge subscriber numbers. People who have a short attention span. “Hey look, someone’s going to restore a priceless violin. It’s only a 15 minute vid”. “Gee, I gotta watch that”.
Oh god! He sells violins? Don’t support his shop.
PPPS That’s the other thing, these aren’t videos titled, “I fit new tuning pegs to a violin”. No, it’s always “Bringing a 200 year old violin back to life”. “Restoring violin found in trash can”. “You won’t believe what was under the dirt”. Sensationalism, pure and simple. Cynicism or self delusion on the part of the vlogger? You decide. Apologies for rambling. YouTube has its faults, and it’s full of rubbish, so maybe that’s why I get so emotive. I want to see the good channels get recognition, and the fakes and frauds exposed.

[organfairy]

I know nothing about violins, but what I do know is that for each repair that someone does on YouTube there are plenty of people who says that "he is doing it wrong" or "he has destroyed more than he has repaired". There are good and bad repairmen, and there are people who are not satisfied before it is 'better than new' and there are people who are happy as long as it works and looks reasonably. I am not taking side here, I just say that there are different goals and different levels of satisfaction.

[markuswx]

There was more wrong with the producer of the video than with the work done. I've seen scores of old Bohemian fiddles like that one. For a general instrument repair shop (glue aside) they delivered a decent, playable workaday violin. That hoke about the instrument being 'ancient' and in need of total restoration, is of course absurd.

One of the arguments in the comment field was about whether the top should have been removed in order to complete any necessary work inside. This is a matter for the luthier to decide. If there is no damage as viewed from the endpin hole or the f holes, it's perfectly OK to flow in some hide glue and clamp up the top plate. Even Cremona-trained masters do this.

[Smurgles]

I saw the video that you're reacting to several months ago and was cringing the whole time. I'm a musician and have played cello, bass, guitar, and violin for 50 years. So nice to see your reaction to this!