Construction of a Master Reuter Violin
| 1. A pattern is chosen, incorporating dimensions which are desirable to the violinmaker for producing a definite tonal character. |
| 2. Six little blocks of wood, (Spruce, Willow or Basswood) are spot-glued to the wooden form. |
| 3. The sides or Ribs are bent using a hot Bending Iron and are then glued to the corners and End Blocks. |
| 4. The back, Ribs and Neck are made of nicely figured Alpine Maple. The back can be made from one piece or two pieces joined lengthwise at the center. |
| 5. Close, Evenly Grained Alpine Spruce is used for making the top. |
| 6. The Resonating Plates, (Top and Back) are planed. The outline is drawn on and cut-out. |
| 7. Gouges and Chisels are used to rough out the Archings. |
| 8. Small Planes finish the forming of the Archings. |
| 9. Scrapers are used to remove the stroke markings of the Planes. |
| 10. The Inlay or Purfling near the edges is made of three separate strips of wood. It protects the top and back from cracking and is also decorative. |
| 11. The graduating, (carving out) of the Archings is done with Gouges, Planes and Scrapers. |
| 12. The finished Back with the Ribs and Blocks. The Linings are added to broaden the gluing surface of the Ribs. |
| 13. The finished top with "F" holes and Bass Bar. The function of the Bass Bar is to broaden the resonating field of the lower Strings. |
| 14. Also the scroll is entirely carved by hand and bears the individual mark and design of the maker. |
| 15. THE VARNISHING OF THE VIOLIN. The functions of the varnish are those of protection and beauty. The varnish has to be of a relative softness, so as not to impair the resonating function of the plates. The instrument receives 5 to 8 coats of highly colored thin layers of varnish, with natural aging and through normal usage, the instrument acquires the beauty of an old painting. |
| Gunther Reuter (1934- Certified Master Violin Maker Graduate of the Violin Makers School in Mittenwald, Bavaria, class of 1951. Studied under Johann Karner, Matthias Klotz, Leo Aschauer and Andreas Fürst. Worked as assistant to Anton Dietl, Rudolf Lang and Ottomar Hausmann of Mittenwald. Received his Master Degree from the Violin Makers Guild in 1958. Engaged in 1961 by William Lewis & Son of Chicago, Illinois as restorer of old and antique Instruments. |
| B. Fritz Reuter (1897-1944) CERTIFIED MASTER VIOLIN MAKER Studied in Meerane, Saxony under Master Albert Oskar Krahl and worked as assistant to Master Jacob Wolfgang Hakkert in Rotterdam and Master Josef Vedral of The Hague. Received his Master Degree from the Violin Makers Guild in 1938. He established himself in 1922 at the Hague, the Netherlands. |
| Fritz Reuter (1931- CERTIFIED VIOLIN MAKER Graduate of the Violin Makers School in Mittenwald, Bavaria, class of 1951. Studied under Johann Karner, Matthias Klotz, Leo Aschauer and Andreas Fürst. Worked as assistant to Michael Reindl, Franz Heindl, Anton Dietl and Benedikt Lang of Mittenwald. Engaged in 1955 by William Lewis & Son of Chicago as restorer of old Stringed Instruments. Re-established Fritz Reuter and Sons in Chicago, Illinois in 1964. |