← back This ones here mostly for the varnish which is outside the bounds of conventional taste but is kinda cool in its own way. This is other Alfred Lanini, this one has been cooked. Never leave your violin in its case in a sunny window - unless you like this...
← back The dual square pins are characteristic of this maker. I'm also interested in the straight scribe line following the plate edge line, is it from laying out the plates or for locating the compass point to lay out the button?
← back The button normally falls on the center joint of the back, Often you will see pin prick at its center from the lay out process. The edge of the button is usually finished with a chamfer in this example by the Grand Master Himself, most of the chamfer has been...
← back Boasts a bold button pin and an unusual ebony crown. In the previous examples. the legs of the crown splay outwards which makes fitting easier.
← back This button on a Ceruti has fairly normal proportions for a violin. The convention is for the button to be symmetrical about the center-joint of the back. In this case however, the maker failed to align the center joint with the back’s axis of symmetry. Notice...
← back When the violin gets a new neck, it's good to build up a worn button so that the new neck can have a full sized heel. Ebony is hard wearing and makes a striking contrast to the maple. This Balestreri also sports double button pins added by a repairman, probably...
← back The humble button, if well preserved, can be a signature of the maker's hand. Compare the button by Romero Antoniazzi (1862 - 1925 Milan )with that by his student Alfred Lanini (1891-1956 San Jose, California). Lanini adopted many Antoniazzi traits; both...
← back from blogpost: Beauty in violin repairs
← back Buttons tend to shrink over their careers, sometimes just due to wear but more often as a result of resetting the neck. If a neck is removed and replaced, to change its position or alignment on the violin, often it will be found that the button projects beyond...
← back The purfling on this violin back has been painted on along with the makers initials. Purfling is a a decorative and functional feature, three strips of wood are inlaid into the back and top and they serve to hold the plate together at the edges where it is...