Stephen Quinney

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About Stephen Quinney

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    Toronto, ON, Canada
  1. I've met many folks in shops who get very upset about raising the pitch of the neck this way. I've seen them tell players that they need a full neck reset at a cost of 'lots of dollars'. This procedure is not always appropriate as David mentioned. If the edge margin is insufficient or the amount you need to raise is more than a mm or so then it's likey not the right thing to do . But it's a useful procedure that works, it's not particularly invasive, it's inexpensive and you don't have to pull back anywhere close to as much a you think to raise the neck by a mm. And it's the same procedure that you should do after a repair that required the top to be removed. When you glue it back you leave it loose around the neck and top bout so you can control the pitch of the neck and return it to the same place it was before you took the instrument apart. I've seen a cello repair where the top has been glued back on, post repair, without any regard for the original neck pitch. The neck angle shot up and the player's bridge suddenly became unusable because it was too low.
  2. People who are prepared to try and come up with something new should earn a modicum of respect even if the idea seems a bit out of the box. If no-one pushes boundaries then nothing can change. In our profession we pride ourselves on our traditional techniques but that doesn't mean that innovation should be ignored or discouraged. I have no experience with this Hamberger soundpost but I use the Anima Nova one. The latter is designed to be a post that allows a quick and easy adjustment of length/tension without having to cut a longer or shorter post. I believe it was designed to replace a traditional soundpost but I use it as a diagnostic tool to try out posts of different tension very quickly and easily. I use that information to inform the length of my wooden post although the swivel feet of the Anima Nova make determining length a bit tricky. But hearing the change in sound with more/less tension is very informative. Often we change tension with a wooden post during adjustment by changing the position of the post. That's effectively two changes at once albeit subtle usually. But being able to adjust tension without moving the post is also informative. Before I tried it myself last year I played a viola with an Anima Nova soundpost installed. I had no idea when I picked up the instrument. It sounded terrific to this ear and average player. For me it's a bit too expensive to leave in an instument and the mental shift needed from our profession and from players is difficult, but as a tool it can be very useful.
  3. I agree with Nathan and Davide. But I think it's important to know that we are not talking about a real gap. It's barely a hairline through the centre of the length of the joint. I do this by putting more pressure on the plane as I pass the centre of the plate and relaxing the pressure at the ends. The goal is to ensure that the ends fit tightly and that when you apply glue, the joint doesn't bow in the wrong direction, i.e gaps at the ends of the joint. I always size my joints too and then a single pass with a plane when dry is enough to re-fit the joint. It works perfectly. And let's face it, there is always more than one way to do pretty much everything we all do. Whatever works for you is the best way. Stephen
  4. Michael, I've been using the Shapton GlassStones for the past couple of years. I'm very happy with them. They need minimal flattening every now and again. They are not hard like ceramic stones and not soft like the water stones. 1000 grit is excellent when you take the tool off a grinder and the 8000 grit is perfect for polishing. I have the 4000 grit too but tend not to use it much. I think you'd be very happy with them. Stephen
  5. I don't think that many of you are grasping what this player is really asking for. It's subtle. Just a few hairs that wrap around the edge of the spreader wedge. It's not a big deal. It doesn't change the pull or warp the stick. It's really not the big deal that a lot of posters seem to think it is.
  6. I was taught to do it that way in New York. I always offer this to my customers but not many players take me up on it anymore. It's subtle and I do it on the bow that I play. I find that a lot of players tend to play on the edge of the hair ribbon rather than flat. And, of course, you put the little extra on the opposite side for a cello bow than you do with a violin or viola bow.
  7. A friend of mine sent me a link to an Israeli documentary about Huberman, the Nazis and Joshua Bell and the Huberman Strad amongst other things. I had not come across it before so thought I would share it. Apologies if you have seen it already.