Lutherie, defined.
A working luthier's glossary of 52+ violin, viola and cello terms — written in plain English, from the bench, for players, parents, students and collectors.
Anatomy of a violin
18 terms
Bridge
The carved maple support that transmits string vibration to the violin's body.
Soundpost
A small spruce dowel inside the violin that links the top and back plates.
Bass bar
A long spruce strip glued under the bass side of the violin top.
F-holes
The pair of f-shaped openings cut into the top of the violin.
Scroll
The decorative carved spiral at the top of the violin's neck.
Pegbox
The slotted compartment in the violin head that houses the four tuning pegs.
Pegs
The four tapered wooden tuning pegs that hold the strings under tension.
Fingerboard
The ebony board glued to the neck where the player stops the strings.
Nut
The small ridge at the top of the fingerboard that spaces the strings.
Tailpiece
The fitting at the bottom of the violin that anchors the strings.
Fine tuners
Small metal screws on the tailpiece for precise pitch adjustment.
Chinrest
The fitting attached to the violin where the player rests the chin.
Shoulder rest
A removable cushion that sits between the violin back and the player's shoulder.
Endpin
On a violin, the small button at the bottom; on a cello, the long retractable spike.
Purfling
The thin inlaid border running around the edge of the violin's top and back.
Ribs
The thin curved sides of the violin connecting top and back.
Corner blocks
Internal spruce blocks that reinforce the corners of the violin.
Linings
Thin spruce strips glued along the inside edges of the ribs.
Materials
8 terms
Varnish
The protective and acoustic coating applied to the wood of the violin.
Hide glue
The traditional reversible animal-protein glue used in violin making.
Tonewood
The selected spruce and maple used to build stringed instruments.
Spruce
The softwood used for violin tops, soundposts and bass bars.
Maple
The hardwood used for violin backs, ribs, necks and bridges.
Pernambuco
The dense Brazilian hardwood traditionally used for fine bows.
Horsehair
The hair from horse tails used to string violin, viola and cello bows.
Rosin
The pine-resin block rubbed onto bow hair to make it grip the string.
Repair & restoration
6 terms
Varnish retouching
Restoring damaged varnish to invisibly blend with the original.
Restoration
Conservation and repair of antique violins, violas and cellos.
Crack repair
Cleating and gluing cracks in the top or back of a violin.
Open seam
A spot where the top or back has come unglued from the ribs.
Neck graft
Splicing a new neck onto an antique violin's original scroll.
Bow rehair
Replacing the worn-out hair on a violin, viola or cello bow.
Setup & playability
4 terms
Instruments
5 terms
Violin
The soprano of the violin family, tuned G–D–A–E.
Viola
The alto of the violin family, tuned C–G–D–A.
Cello
The bass-tenor of the violin family, tuned an octave below the viola.
Bow
The horsehair-strung stick used to play bowed string instruments.
Fractional sizes
Smaller violins, violas and cellos for children: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 etc.
History & expertise
10 terms
Bow making
The separate craft of building violin, viola and cello bows.
Luthier
A craftsperson who builds and repairs stringed instruments.
Cremona
The northern Italian city that was the cradle of the modern violin.
Stradivari
The Cremonese workshop of Antonio Stradivari, the most famous violin maker in history.
Guarneri del Gesù
Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, the Cremonese maker whose violins rival Stradivari.
Mittenwald
The Bavarian town that has built violins since 1685.
Mirecourt
The French town that is the historic centre of French lutherie and bow making.
Appraisal
A written, dated valuation of a violin, viola, cello or bow.
Certificate of authenticity
A formal expert opinion that a specific instrument is by a specific maker.
Expert (in the violin trade)
A specialist whose written opinions on authenticity are accepted by the market.