Thread: Pocket/Kit violin?

Do you mean a Pochette or a fractional size (1/4, 2/4, 3/4) sized Violin Mimstrel? Ive never seen a Pochette kit but violin kits are widely available. Stewmac and International Violin Company are both reputable. Im pretty sure Int Violin Co does fractional sizes.

As for whether they are simpler, I wouldnt count on it. Violins have had centuries of refinement. This means that the methods are well known and there is a well defined quality standard for the instruments. Pochette's would be simpler. 35 quid plans are here. pochette (dancing masters violin)

I mean a pochette.
I've seen them referred to as "kit violins" with kit being a shortening of "pocket"

Thanks for the link to the plans, I've got it bookmarked.

Alright, well, I've got materials to start building a pochette from basswood, with a yellow cedar neck, using plans I am modifying (shrinking and simplifying) from plans for a regular violin.

I don't have any power tools, although I will be borrowing my dad's drill for the holes for the tuning pegs and for the sake of speed I may use a rotary tool for some parts (if I get one for my birthday, which is in a couple of weeks). So, it's less symmetrical than it was supposed to be (I cut out the shape for the top already) but I should be able to sand it into a more symmetrical shape once I get the back cut, since the top and back need to match.

I've also started the shaping on the neck. I may have some images to share tonight!

Cool, I look forward to seeing your progress. Do you play?

lol; not at all. I'd like to learn, but I don't have the resources right now - no money for an instrument, no money for lessons.
I'm making this just for fun; though if it turns out playable (surely I can find someone willing to test it) maybe I can learn by ear. I'm a flautist and vocalist, so I read music and understand music theory. I tried learning guitar, but my hands are too small for the neck of my guitar. It's a hand-me-down deal, and I can't afford to replace it with a smaller version.

Anyway... just realized that I have to load the software for my camera onto my new computer before I can load images. I've got the top and neck carved, and I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do about the rest of the body, because my original plan isn't working.

Here's photos of the neck, top, and the block for the "foot" of the pochette.
Since this image, I've got the sides about half done (doing them as 4 strips... have only glued myself to the instrument twice so far; fortunately I'm a steady hand with a razor and cut myself free both times without breaking skin) with the block and neck attached to the back of the instrument. Then I have to attach the top and sand until I can sand no more... and then add the finishing touches: fingerboard, tailpiece, bridge, peg holes, pegs, and strings! I'm planning to order some scraps from a place that sells hardwoods; hopefully that will include at least one piece of useable 1.5"x5.5"x something wood for the fingerboard and another small bit for the tailpiece.

i made a Carbon fibre violin last year , is there any questions you want to ask about violins ? , also , attacking the timber with grit on paper is shunned at in the violin making circles , scraping is the prefurred method ,
but hell , making one like mine with no wood is even worse , sand paper fluffs up the grain while a scrapper dosnt , keep up the good work , and keep posting pic's ,

its nice to see someone having a go with out bying a hole work shop of tools

Alright, an update! So I have the box closed up on the first pochette - I did something wrong and it doesn't line up perfectly. I started a simpler shape pochette with the leftover wood from the first one, but I'm waiting to buy wood to make fingerboards and tailpieces for them because...

I'm making a guitar. I took on an extra lab (teaching) this semester, and I'm making more money. So I'm buying wood for a guitar as a prize for myself for putting up with non-majors. Will start a new thread for that project. Anyways, I'm planning on picking up a couple of small pieces of wood to finish these, when I order some of the pieces for my guitar. Pics to come!

Originally Posted by mimstrel

Has anyone made one of these? I kind of want to try making one as a just-for-fun project... I'm working with limited space and supplies (no power tools, just clever hands) but I think I can get something at least similar to one of these. They look simpler than a regular violin design.

curious if anyone knows of any resources on them. Thanks!

I made one a while back for travelling on planes. I based it on one in London's Victoria and Albert Museum



I used a neck from a badly broken violin and built the body using standard violin making techniques. I measured across the C-bouts and then used that as the whole body width. The instrument sounds quite good - I use it in Irish sessions around the world and a friend even took it to Everest base Camp. So it is pretty robust!

I blogged a fairly detailed series during its construction - which might be helpful

Pochette – part ten – Finished at last! « Four Strings

And here is the finished instrument



Good luck with yours )

Cheers
Jerry