For the time of the development of my webpage we will have a different SPECIAL every week. Just follow the link to find the discounted item. Please come in our Shop or Mail/Phone order on:
Freecall 1800 88 2468

Where to find us:

20 Logan Rd Woolloongabba Brisbane QLD 4102  PH:1800 88 2468

OPENING HOURS: Tue-Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 10 am - 2.30pm Sun & Mon closed

ample parking

5 min from city!           3 min over Story bridge !

Magnatune.com

Useful Links

• Alchemix Recording Studio

Setup information

All Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses need some special attention to make them properly playable.
They are different to stereos, computers or fridges which can be sold right out of the box. If a bowed stringed instrument is not setup properly it is considered unplayable. Very often people say to me "but it is just for a beginner". My answer to that is always that it is hard enough to learn the violin and specially the beginners, our children, need any help and support to produce a nice tone. 
“Looking back on 25 years of experience in serving beginners and professionals, I cannot stress enough that it is essential to play a well setup instrument. Even though it is very beautiful to play a valuable instrument, the quality of the instrument is often not as crucial as the quality of the setup.
A well setup cheaper instrument will serve you better than an expensive one with a bad setup. I have seen many kids give up because they or their parents thought that they were not gifted at the violin. Very often these kids didn't stand a chance because their instruments were unplayable. A so called “professional” setup is not always good enough (Any person earning money assembling instruments can call it a professional setup whether or not they know what they are doing).That is why I developed the very special "Deluxe Ilja Grawert Setup". When ever you see "Deluxe Ilja Grawert Setup" you will know all the work has been done here in my Brisbane workshop and because we are in full control of the setup we can guarantee for the highest level of playability and tonal quality.

     “Every violin needs work on the pegs, nut, fingerboard, bridge, sound post, tail piece, bow and very often the strings need to be upgraded for good sound. In my shop every instrument gets anywhere between ¾ of an hour and 8 hours of setup work done before it is offered for sale."

"Deluxe Ilja Grawert Setup"

1.  Refit or new pegs
2.  Plane Finger board
3.  Adjust nut
4.  New "Ilja Grawert" bridge
5.  Refit and adjust or new sound post
6.  New High quality strings
7.  Lubricate metal parts
8.  Assemble instrument and tonal adjustment
9.  Final check

Refit or new pegs
The pegs on every instrument need to be refitted or replaced. To understand the process involved I will show you some photos.
First the pegs have to be tested weather they fit or not. Usually they do not fit to the holes in the peg box.
The holes in the peg box need to be reamed with a reamer to create a certain taper.

Now the real peg fitting can start. The tool we use to fit the pegs is called a peg fitter. It looks like an over sized pencil sharpener with three holes. These holes have the same taper as the reamer, but are of three different sizes and the cutting blade has to be much sharper than the one in a pencil sharpener. A well fitting peg fits all the way around in the matching holes on both sides of the peg box. 


After all four pegs have been fitted they have to be shortened so the ends are not sticking out of the peg box. we cut the ends of either with a hand saw or some times using a band saw. After they have been shortened the pegs ends need to be rounded first with a file and than with sandpaper (grades:180, 280, 400,600
and 800) after that we polish the pegs with some polishing paste to make them nice and shiny.
We drill the holes in the pegs for the strings usually with a drill stand.The
edges of the holes in the pegs have to be softened with a round file to insure that
the strings are not breaking on sharp edges.







After the pegs are fitting perfectly the need to be peg pasted in order to make them turn smooth and still hold the strings in tune. We use different methods for professional players than we do for beginners.
For beginners it is essential that the peg holds the string in tune no matter what happens.They are a little bit harder to tune but do not require as much skill as the professional method. I use the Hill peg paste for them.

For the  professional player I use three different types of paste. First I use a commercial peg paste which is too dry from too much graphite. It makes the pegs stick. I loosen them with a very special 80 year old Sunlight soap which I luckily found in Cologne on a flea market 19 years ago(It is much better than newer soap because it does not moisten the pegs) then I leave the pegs sitting for a while before I finally fine adjust then with a soft white Pelikan chalk from Germany.

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Plane Fingerboard

Every instruments finger board needs work done to it. A well adjusted finger board can make your playing so much easier than you ever imagined, while a poorly adjusted one will make it harder to play than nessesary. I firmly believe that even a beginning student deserves an easy to play instrument. I talk to a lot of players every day who do not know about the importance of a well adjusted fingerboard and are playing on a poor one not knowing it can be better. If you own a bowed stringed instrument and you experience any of the following difficulties you should come and get you instrument checked :

1. finding it hard to press strings down
2. having shoulder, arm, hand and neck pains
3. having difficulties playing high up on the middle strings or in thumb positions
4. finding it hard to separate strings
5. have a buzz or noise on a certain tone
6. difficulties to play in tune
7. strings breaking often
You might need to have your finger board adjusted.






constant checking of the finger board curve
is very important to get to the right result.

 



The fingerboard needs to have a very particular curve across the strings and has to be very slightly hollow along the strings. Most fingerboards are ether too hollow or too round length wise or are wobbly and usually the curve across is too flat. The only way this can be corrected properly is with a plane to give it the right shape,                                                              after everything is right I work then with a scraper to make it smooth and to polish                                                            it we use sandpaper and oil or a polishing agent.




After all my work is done
I have to check again with the
curve template as well as
with the straight edge
to make sure
everything is in order
for easy playability

The curve of a finger board varies between cellos, violins and violas.
Double basses need special attention, because of so many different styles being played on a bass.



For classic and bowed jazz you need a certain curve
For pizzicato jazz you need a flatter curve to gain plucking speed
and for Rockabilly music an even flatter one is better.
Very often we have to find a compromise to  the best finger board adjustment to suit the special types of music the individual players needs their double bass for. The same applies for folk, jazz, country or bluegrass violin. Please talk to me about these special adjustments.

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Adjust nut
Pictures and text coming soon

New "Ilja Grawert" Bridge
The bridges on new instruments always need to be replaced or at least have to have extensive adjustments done to them. 
A bridge is not only there to be beautiful and hold the strings up, it is supposed to be a piece of sound art. With a bridge I can adjust the sound in many ways, not only the choice of wood but also the way I cut the bridge will have a big impact on the sound quality of the finished instrument. Every instrument has to be looked at dynamicly as an individual, like we do with humans. What is good for one instrument must not nessesarily be good for another. By adjusting the way I work perfectly to every instrument I can make sure to have the best possible end result in tone and playability.

Cutting a new bridge involves many steps. After checking the instrument to find the right matching piece of wood we start fitting the bridge feet to the surface of the round top plate. They have to fit perfectly. The way to see if they are fitting is by placing them only by their own weight on the top plate and then looking at them in a very flat angle so you will see the reflection of a gap on the varnish of the top plate. Following this procedure you make sure the bridge fits perfectly. Fitting the bridge is done with a very sharp carving knife.

After the feet are fitting I need to determine the height and curve of the bridge. This is done with a template.
I will then cut the bridge down to the right height.


Now the real sound work is starting. Every step from now on is very important for the beautiful sound of your instrument: I have to mark the bridge thickness on top of the bridge and start working on rounding the chest first with a knife and then with a fine file, to finish it of with sandpaper.

After the chest is done the bridge needs to be shaped for beauty and for optimum acustics for this one particular instrument. Every cut with my knife is well thought through to achieve the best result.




If I am happy with the end result of the bridge
I will put it aside until it is time
to assemble the instrument.




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Refit and adjust or new sound post
Pictures and text coming soon

New high quality strings
Pictures and text coming soon

Lubricate metal parts
Pictures and text coming soon

Assemble instrument and tonal adjustment.
Pictures and text coming soon

Final check
Pictures and text coming soon

This weeks "web page construction" special click here

Having been born into the tradition of violin making, Ilja decided at 15 to become a Violinmaker. At 18 he began his apprenticeship (1982-1986) at Geigenbau Machold in Bremen, Germany, where he had the opportunity to study under some of Europe's best violin makers.

After receiving his qualifications, he established his own workshop in Germany, concentrating on newmaking & restoration. He remained an independent artisan after migrating to Brisbane in 1994.

Ilja now has a shop in Woolloongabba, Brisbane. Serving beginning students as well as professionals from not only classical education but as well from the jazz and Rockabilly type of music. His main workshop is located above his shop, but during opening hours, he prefers to do the finer work at a workbench in his shop window.

He welcomes the chance to chat with anyone interested in the art of violin making, and is happy for people to watch while he works.