Is there a difference in quality, strength, and sound?

1- and 2-piece back violins

Question

Can you tell me the difference between a full back and a split back in terms of instrument quality, strength, sound, etc.

Also, is the belly a single piece?

Answer from Rhiannon

I honestly have never seen a difference in tone in 1- versus 2-piece backs and I have done plenty of comparison playing trying out hundreds of instruments over the years as a professional musician, teacher and violin shop owner.

Physically-speaking on a 2-piece back the makers glue the two halves together following the grain, so it is not any different than just another line of grain down the middle of a single piece of wood. A com[uter with an harmonic analyzer *may* pick up the slightest variations in vibrations, but it would be so slight the ear couln't discern any differences.

So it's really a matter of personal aesthetic taste and will not affect your playing.

Many 2-piece backs have a "book-matched" maple back. This means the maker slices a thicker piece of tone wood down the middle and opens it like a book, thus coming out with two thinner plates to use side by side; the flames will be opposites and is very striking. It is cheaper, especially for makers who are using very expensive materials, to use one narrower yet thicker piece and book-match it rather than using one wider piece because the narrower piece of wood is easier to attain.

[See 2-piece instruments for sale here]

A 1-piece back is special as it came from one, large solid plate of maple and is more decadent. Thus players think a 1-piece is better, but it simply means a bigger piece of wood was used. Book-matching is not possible on a 1-piece back.

[See 1-piece instruments for sale here]

As for the top or belly, they are all made in 2-pieces from spruce (backs and ribs are almost always made from maple). The font seam is difficult to see on most violins and most people don't know it is, indeed, two pieces.

You can read more about the woods used in our violins here.

 

Wood: Back Configuration Check Boxes in Layered NavigationFiddleheads makes it easy to narrow down instrument shopping by 1- and 2- piece backs

From any catalog page showing our instruments there is a left column layered navigation section. Scroll to "WOOD: BACK CONFIGURATION" and you can show only products with 1-piece or 2-piece backs by clicking on the check boxes (see top image at the left).


You can also compare instruments by selecting the terraced "Compare" icon below products in the catalog (see bottom image at the left).

 

All the best in your music and I hope we have earned your patronage.

 

green circle with white You'll likely find Rhiannon's Glossary of Violin Terms
to be quite educational and entertaining