A fiddle (or is it a violin?)

Building a musical instrument from a kit can be a rewarding experience, and a great way to get started in lutherie. But it is time consuming and demands much attention to detail.

My daughter wanted a fiddle, and I wanted to build something from a kit, and so we bought one from Stewart MacDonald! We did not complete it as quickly as we would have liked, but we eventually completed it and it turned out nicely.

Here’s a small set of pictures taken during the process.

Leveling the installed purfling

Purfling installation on top complete

Back purflings completely installed

Purflings installed, ‘box’ closed

Violin Scroll before final sanding

First base coat of yellow in finishing

Finish during pumice/polish steps

The completed fiddle

Installing the tail piece and chin rest