MAINTENANCE, RESTORATION AND SOUND ADJUSTMENT

BUY, SELL AND RENT VIOLONS, CELLOS VIOLAS AND BOWS

SALE OF ACCESSORIES

Olivier Legrand luthier

info@olivierlegrandluthier.ch
tél. fixe +41 21 556 70 57
tél. mob. +41 76 514 50 52

MAINTENANCE, RESTORATION AND SOUND ADJUSTMENT

BUY, SELL AND RENT VIOLONS, CELLOS VIOLAS AND BOWS

SALE OF ACCESSORIES

WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP

Violin Workshop in Lausanne

Violin Workshop in Lausanne

lundi 13h30 – 18h
mardi 10h – 18h00
mercredi 10h – 17:30
jeudi 10h – 18h
vendredi 10h – 18h
samedi 10h – 12h30

closed between 12:30 and 13:30

Or by appointment outside of these hours

Chemin de Boston 20a,
1004 Lausanne Suisse

MY BACKGROUND

29 years’ experience

After studying at the school for instrument making in Mittenwald (Bavaria), I learned the art of restoration (violins, violas and celli) at the workshops of René Morel & Emmanuel Gradoux-Matt in New York City, and Dominique Camard and Alexandre Snitkovski in Lyon. I became head of A. Snitkovski’s workshop before working for Pierre Mastrangelo in Lausanne.

ARTISTS

In the course of my work, I have met such instrumentalists as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern, Midori Goto, Maxim Vengerov, Sergei Krylov among others

INSTRUMENTAL PRACTICE

I play the violin and the viola regularly and avidly in chamber ensembles and orchestras. I can also play the cello some, enough to be able to try them. This experience gives me a better understanding of musicians and of their needs for set up (shape of the neck, of the fingerboard, of the bridge, height and shape of the chinrest) and for sound quality and adjustment

MY SERVICES

MY SERVICES

MAINTENANCE AND SOUND ADJUSTMENT

I offer customized care of instruments and bows. I strive to do my work with the greatest care. I adapt to your needs and to those of your instrument. I am dedicated to bringing you playing comfort and the sound you desire

RESTORATION

I carry out all kinds of restoration in ethical respect of the author and of the instrument. Each instrument and its injuries being unique, I adapt my techniques to recover the solidity of the instrument and an appearance that respects the spirit of the author and the evolution of the instrument throughout the ages. I also take great care to respect the sound qualities of the instrument, which are often improved in the end

Exemples d’instruments que j’ai restaurés :
Niccolo Amati, Carlo Tononi, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Carlo Giuseppe Testore, Ferdinando Gagliano, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Nicolas Lupot

EXAMPLE OF RESTORATION

THE SOUND-POST WENT THROUGH THE BELLY

The instrument is a violin by Charles-François Gand, also called “Gand Père”. It was damaged in an accident a long time ago. One can see numerous fractures on the belly where the sound-post had gone through in the past. The instrument was restored then, but now the cracks are very visible and some have widened. It is worth restoring this violin again to prevent its condition from getting worse. I will now describe one way to restore the sound-post area of the belly. After taking the belly off the ribs, I make a plaster cast and rectify the little arching imperfections.

Then, I remove the old sound-post patch. I wash the area with hot water. The old cracks open and some little pieces of wood loosen. After the area dries, I readjust the cracks, glue them and do the same with the little spruce pieces that I can still use (the original ones for sure). A hole remains due to lack of wood. Because the belly is very thin (a few tenths of a mm) in this area after the removal of the sound-post patch, I adjust and glue on a thin patch (1 mm) from below to strengthen the area and be able to work on it. To compensate for the lack of wood, I take a chip of wood with a gouge from the inside of the belly just above the area to be restored and glue it on a piece of spruce to strengthen it. The chip has exactly the same characteristics (width of growth rings, colour) as the missing wood. It will match the surrounding wood seamlessly. I adjust and glue another spruce chip of the same quality in the place of the chip I just took off. Now, to be able to fit the chip I have just taken to the site of the missing wood, I cut through the patch I added earlier, cutting vertically along the veins of the wood on two sides and in a dovetail perpendicularly to the veins (along the end-grain) on the other two sides. Then, I adjust and glue the chip from the underside of the belly, and finish the surface with a wood scraper. To complete the repair, I add a new sound-post patch beneath. After restoring the rest of the instrument (other cracks, edges, among other things), I re-glue the belly on the ribs and touch up the varnish. This does the trick!

EXAMPLE OF RESTORATION

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE

BUY / SELL

I buy and accept for consignment violins, violas, cellos and their bows. I put their pictures in the window below if possible. I sell instruments and bows of all ages, sizes and qualities. Beforehand, I do what is necessary to make sure that they are in the best condition possible, with optimal playing comfort and at the best of their sound potential

Violin by J. N. Leclerc

in Paris, 1778

Violin by Jean Gosselin

made in Paris in 1827

Violin by J. P. Thibout

made in Paris in 1834

Viola by Charles Enel

in Paris, n°189, 41,2 cm

Violin by Gand Bernardel Frères

in Palais du Trocadéro, Paris, 1878, n°743

Violin by J. N. Lambert

in Paris

Violin by C. A. Miremont

made in Paris in 1873

Violin by Just Derazey

made in Mirecourt in 1875-80

Joseph-Arthur Vigneron

Violin bow

RENTAL INSTRUMENTS

I rent violins, violas and cellos of all sizes, new and old. I try to serve my clients, children and adults, the best I can. The instruments are in good condition and the sound adjusted optimally. To know the terms and conditions of rental, please call me, or even better, come to my workshop

ACCESSORIES

Je vends toutes sortes d’accessoires: cordes,
colophanes, sourdines, chevilles, cordiers, tendeurs,
boutons, piques, mentonnières, épaulières, planches
pour pique de violoncelle, étuis et housses, lutrins,
humidificateurs, lampes de lutrin, diapasons, accordeurs, etc. Je vends des produits de Akusticus, Augustin, BAM, Bender, Bois d’Harmonie, D’Addario, Gewa, Hill, Jargar, K&M, Kun, Larsen, Lorenz,
Mach One, Musafia, Negri, Pirastro, Prim, Riboni, Ruka, Teller, Tempel, Thomastik, Savarez, SAS, Weidler, Weisshaar, Westminster, Wittner, Wolf, et bien d’autres. Si je ne les ai pas en stock, je les
commande volontiers. Je me réjouis de vous
apporter un conseil personnalisé si vous le souhaitez

MAINTENANCE, RESTORATION AND SOUND ADJUSTMENT

BUY, SELL AND RENT VIOLONS, CELLOS VIOLAS AND BOWS

SALE OF ACCESSORIES

CHE-273.792.349 TVA
info@olivierlegrandluthier.ch

tél. fixe +41 21 556 70 57
tél. mob. +41 76 514 50 52

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