5.17.2011

Restoration of Violin by Johann Glier -1765

One of my customers collects violins of the Glier family of makers from Markneukirchen and Cincinnati. The most well known is Robert Glier who immigrated to Cincinnati from Germany in the mid-19th century. This violin was made in 1765 by Johann Gottfried Glier.
This violin had extensive woodworm damage to the spruce top that had been previously repaired using wood putty. The bass bar was too large and poorly shaped. There was a crack on the treble side of the back near the soundpost.

Belly before restoration
Belly interior before restoration
The following repairs were made to this violin:
- Repair crack on back.
- Removal of loose wood putty used to fill woodworm holes in the belly.
- Fill cavities in the belly with Abatron Liquid Wood, a highly technical epoxy mainly used in historic architectural applications. This is far less invasive than the traditional removal of wood to place large chest patches. The epoxy has the same flexure as the original wood and pigments can be added to match the wood color. This is not a product found at the corner DYI store! This procedure is outlined in "Less-invasive Repair of Worm Tracks" by Andrew Ryan in the newly published 3 volume conservation manual by IPCA-Canada, "The Conservation, Restoration, and Repair of Stringed Instruments and Their Bows."
- Re-graduate the bass bar to achieve standard measurements and tuning nodes for the belly plate.
- Restore the edges of the belly.
- Restore missing one corner and purfling in several places.
- Patch the belly with new wood at the blocks to restore a stable gluing surface.
- Glue and cleat 5 cracks in the belly.
- Add maple sound post veneer (not a patch) on the belly.
- Touch up the varnish once repairs are completed. Match any new wood to the existing varnish.
- Bush the A-string peg.
- Complete set-up including planing fingerboard, new soundpost and new bridge.
Belly in aluminum frame with woodworm cavities
Epoxy filler added to wood
Back after Restoration

Front after Restoration



When I delivered it to the owner, he told me it sounds better than ever and he will play it in his next concert with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony.