https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog daily 0.75 2025-12-04 https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/fine-cello-varnish-restoration monthly 0.5 2025-12-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/09d15924-af92-431d-b466-467f03f596a6/20250404_092347.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration - Make it stand out Before cleaning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/53e3a59f-62ef-499a-bd72-3e0f5d8baeca/20250406_083032.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration - Make it stand out After varnish restoration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1920d8fc-82d5-46b8-8bb4-3d2b6e93a529/20250406_083103.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/9c9b7a18-e523-4a54-a7d8-291d673f1cb9/20250404_100605.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration - Make it stand out After cleaning. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/i-only-work-on-violin-family-instruments-except-when-its-a-gorgeous-hand-made-mandolin-with-incredible-sentimental-value monthly 0.5 2025-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/7623bb97-8572-453c-8562-b3e6f558f74b/20250118_174727.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration on a fine mandolin. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/f60de56d-ef0b-4945-9b07-8eacc3f12777/20250128_170937.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration on a fine mandolin. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/cc6e5fc8-fbea-4d30-b8ab-908ca16b337c/20250125_083822.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration on a fine mandolin. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/f6e83dc9-6b9b-4e3c-9d50-e8d6c65f96b6/20250125_083838.jpg Blog - Varnish restoration on a fine mandolin. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/restoration-to-poggi-violin monthly 0.5 2025-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/3255ec84-6c8a-4f5a-bdfe-ab7aa5fbf6c5/20240515_173743.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - From the outside of the violin, old cracks were visibly open, and the arching had warped. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899026504-3Y7TG6DON8KX2DAXU0EL/20240702_103724.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899632933-LSPOSXC88J8JA0A0MI1F/20240623_123536.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899046923-YWQILHGXMXGQPXMCL6X4/20240702_103850.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899072469-XS3FC5HHJ6882P16BI0G/20240702_110233.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899078776-68EIE9MIDEQFWMEUTIIK/20240702_110257.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741894853419-EPTKY2OFA1O900L9H81C/20240609_133017.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741894854125-P7MWDL9RCJQX2M8WSOYG/20240609_150604.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741894870044-BKBWYBQ7ZJI64KMP2FRD/20240611_150422.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/9a60adea-ff19-40e9-9b71-1df156dd11a0/20240609_133235.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin The first step was to repair the edges, where in this picture, you can clearly see splinters of wood that are missing. The images below show how new wood was added to replace the thickness of the edges where the wood was damaged. This process is call “Doubling the Edges". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/8f1d0c73-d284-4968-a274-ee50a2566f74/20240628_142527.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741898880047-8DRIBGRCIJPKQM4126IP/20240629_100031.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741898880111-4X9WRZTE7HW7HM28NBEM/20240629_100130.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741898342419-OKH367EJ0KTH66NV8BIW/20240623_174031.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741898341412-AH0JNOMZGQ0KVMILBOFV/20240623_211616.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741898351391-OS45DV84MMNC7L9E0ZM4/20240626_162153.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/14e7ece6-e612-4132-a511-53cbd55c257e/20240628_170717.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - Glueing the top back on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/2f6ebc1a-2a6b-495a-91f2-b8f8a21425a2/20240623_121530.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1741899049517-S2QQ22GEK917MGWGHQVQ/20240702_110207.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/7546b2ad-0ec4-43b4-939b-7a62d2787fa0/20240509_094953.jpg Blog - Restoration to Poggi violin - The inside of the violin told a story of many repairs and much use, as a good violin usually does. However, the cleats (the wooden “band-aids” that reinforce a crack and hold it together from the inside) were no longer supporting the cracks, and there was damage to the edges of the top from previous repairs. You can see the soundpost patch that a previous luthier put in to repair a crack there, doublings at the upper and lower blocks, and all the little and big rectangular cleats over the cracks. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/why-plane-the-fingerboard monthly 0.5 2025-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/3366f37d-3c00-4187-83d7-8448134ae570/processed_20231209_090151.jpg Blog - Why Plane the Fingerboard? https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/drago-von-lindstrom-g5xgp monthly 0.5 2024-01-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1704389871335-GJ4KKCBH01G9WLOMEJ4P/20230120_151909_IMG_6492.jpg Blog - Before and After… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1704391340222-J768VFVIBE5MB103XMQC/viola+before.jpg Blog - Before and After… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1704391204133-77FTJO9KDVGJNUTU72QP/viola+retouched.jpg Blog - Before and After… https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/drago-von-lindstrom monthly 0.5 2023-11-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/c467073b-a2af-4bd0-8841-8c80eb070e1e/20191108_102912_IMG_9545.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699338969252-VOREZ66I1OKG1O6CSK4N/20190728_133145_IMG_8574.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699338967838-DAFMYAQT15Z14DJL4IBU/20190906_135811_IMG_8854.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699338977720-LHMS966M0BK2YUU7EDXM/20190906_141738_IMG_8856.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699338979099-BCS61BHHM06OP5WG1BBA/20190907_150921_IMG_8884.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339278787-RFE6H9OFQ71R8Z3RTN1F/20191028_133750_IMG_9414.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339331736-277JV42RLWVIBCQNNTY5/20190929_105216_IMG_9124.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339331447-FFWZOSLQ9RQGAPTKU2GL/20191020_212709_IMG_9288.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699340009707-648DTQYZANFP3Q33T8OP/IMG_9482.JPG Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339933093-K99RS32OBZ8EMH2652VB/20220429_134218_IMG_5132.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339930721-GBEETAYX0J8HJ2HXORY2/20191209_154249_IMG_9681.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699339937613-LDOBP6YV2P0G43EZW80F/20220504_130052_IMG_5162.jpeg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/fec1c249-d81c-42d8-9b40-59baa6bb36b9/IMG_7574.jpg Blog - “Drago von Lindstrom,” a commissioned piece - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/a-little-bit-art monthly 0.5 2023-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/f63e6247-9570-4b8e-93a2-9e88718f1f8f/image-asset.png Blog - A Little Bit Art, A Little Bit Science - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/a3a6f605-241b-4d30-9b3e-5934af80d3e2/image-asset.png Blog - A Little Bit Art, A Little Bit Science - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/c-h-baker-1933 monthly 0.5 2023-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699341399128-LHYHLGPM8HNTO1E9TUXL/Screenshot+2023-11-06+at+11.13.38%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - C.H. Baker, 1933 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699341399439-E6ZRPMOILAPYHZP5KRG9/Screenshot+2023-11-06+at+11.13.45%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - C.H. Baker, 1933 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699341400720-ZP704NLQ6E6B01810WBK/Screenshot+2023-11-06+at+11.13.54%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - C.H. Baker, 1933 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/5531f03a-98b6-48c7-84ac-dd28cd31c2c4/Screenshot+2023-11-06+at+11.14.22%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - C.H. Baker, 1933 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/86b4dbe9-8566-4e6a-8099-3b255d6132f6/Screenshot+2023-11-06+at+11.13.30%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - C.H. Baker, 1933 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/opening-a-cello monthly 0.5 2024-01-04 https://www.sorokaviolins.com/blog/mathias-thir-1778 monthly 0.5 2023-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/8627d1c3-53b1-4d73-b5ae-8a83eedd83ec/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out A properly cut and fit bridge is elegant and structurally cohesive, for optimal sound quality and easy and comfortable playability. Every violin should have an expert set-up to sound its best. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/55e561f0-7468-42d4-a757-c19119b9bfcc/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out The above image shows the violin, fully restored and ready to be set up with bridge, pegs and strings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/8ca52337-375e-4310-ba2f-16a794c68f21/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out This picture shows the violin with clamps to glue the wing cracks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/79b90497-00cb-473f-aefc-2b7a1f183efd/MathiasThir1778.jpg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/e1707aaa-26d8-467e-a44f-b414bfc98874/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out Note the large gap at the seam where the ribs and top meet. It had been glued so many times without ever properly being cleaned and re-fitted that it was a mess of old glue and wood that couldn’t meet for a proper glueing joint. Note that the rib is completely bare of varnish, from the players’ hands rubbing over centuries of playing. The lack of varnish is a dangerous, and must be fixed to preserve the wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/853d7c9b-7d66-4cf0-8e5c-8666128a1671/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out This shows the interior “patch” that is stabilizing the crack at the wing. Very careful stabilization of the repaired area was required so that the violin could be played for another hundred years without breaking again. You can see the half-circle of wood that was removed and then new lighter colored wood glued in. You can also see the very thin strip of light colored wood that filled the gap in the last picture to provide that perfect joint. The new wood is lighter colored because it lacks the patina of time. It will darken. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/6226574a-a0c9-4508-ab59-5bcc515c3aff/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out Here is the start of the repair to the wing crack, and shows a strip of wood sawed out where the old crack was. The old crack was so old, had been re-broken and re-glued so many times over the centuries, that there was no longer much wood left once all the old glue was cleaned out. To make a perfect glueing surface that would result in a solid joint, the old mangled wood was removed in a perfect straight line right along two grain-lines in the wood, and then a new strip of wood fitted into the gap, resulting in a perfect solid glueing surface. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/77b9e5f6-d5f5-40c3-876e-8a27620f0d0d/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out This photo above shows the little light-colored rectangles called “cleats,” which hold the cracks closed. They are shaped pieces of wood that are glued onto the inside surface of the top, spanning the crack, and adding stability to the repaired area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/f3cec937-2077-48f4-8aca-c2ac934719d2/BeforeRestoration.JPG Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out The violin before restoration. Varnish is worn and dirty. Cracks are open and unfixed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/da87e6bc-e321-4f2c-bd3c-abe7ed035ca8/IMG_9504.JPG Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out This picture shows one of the open cracks in the “wing” of the top, next to the f-hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/cac84eee-067d-4384-848b-961ca4e059b9/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Restoration of Mathias Thir violin, 1778 - Make it stand out The final result of the repair and restoration of the wing crack. https://www.sorokaviolins.com/home daily 1.0 2023-12-20 https://www.sorokaviolins.com/about daily 0.75 2025-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/ed89307c-b2de-48b7-b9d8-bd389f588ae4/SOROKA_violinfamilygraphic.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699333663297-94PL0D2PS8RMU9YAIIUK/WEBSITE_BRIDGEsignatureIMG_2593.JPG About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1703093245891-Z1BSYOT830HWN0H84ZOO/secondary_10-P1040317.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1699333673870-DFA3HYMI8XAURZTL95JR/WEBSITE_violin+shop+portrait+3.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/1703093284120-0D9QEOT4ISZXSSZ9R5ET/secondary_22-P1040477.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/3efc15c6-f2af-44ca-969a-a416d356fd7f/secondary_6-P1040286.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/55b21e03-f6d0-4468-b436-5bc0f2c0cdc1/1-P1040246.jpg https://www.sorokaviolins.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-12-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/652ee7203d37b6785fa64075/6cf192dd-8ff1-49f4-9037-96d91ad13cfc/primary_9-P1040314.jpg