In Pursuit of Perfection: The Great Luthiers

By Mr Gerald B. Manning and Gerald Manning

What is a "Luthier"? Obviously derived from what was originally the French word luth, which means lute, the luthier was originally a maker of stringed instruments (lutes, harps, viols, etc.) but later particularly of instruments of the violin family. Since the instruments of the violin family require the use of a bow the craftsmanship of lutherie is divided into two categories and requires a secondary or subordinate craftsman known as a "archetier" from the French word meaning one who makes bows. Before 1750 a luthier often made the violin as well as the bow or had it made in his studio workshop, and most bows with rare exceptions remained anonymous. Antonio Stradivarius regarded by many to be the greatest luthier ever certainly made bows or had them made for him, but by the standardization of the bow in c1785 by the Frenchman Fran?ois Tourte emphasis was placed on the archetier rather than the luthier to produce such playing tools, however dissimilarities do exist between the creation of the instrument and the bow, and there are those who are passionate about the differences between these branches of the craft. A great deal of new information, which was once the secret domain of generations of luthiers and violinmaking schools, is becoming available today in order to keep the craft of the luthier alive with young makers dedicated in emulating the old masters in the pursuit of perfection.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1466307773
• ISBN13: 9781466307773
• Release Date: September 2011
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"