UPDATED 05/09/07

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Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 21:43:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: lefty

I have played a regular violin bacKward for quite a
few years. It took a while for me to realize the the
peg closest to the nut is in the way for a lefty's
knuckle. I purchased a really rough looking violin not
one you would be too worried about damaging and
proceeded to take the front off I went to the stove
and heated a knife and inserted it between the front
of the violin and the sides I had to reheat the knife
many times. Once the front was removed I carefully
removed the basebar and made a new one out of some
spruce trim lumber. I glued the new one simmetically
opposite the old one titebond glue was recommended to
me. The next problem after reassembly was reversing
all four pegs; a local man who did violin repairs
loaned me his reamer and some used pegs. I scraped the
peg holes and some pegs to be sure that they had some
fresh wood exposed and and glued in some short peg
sections on each large side of the peg holes. This was
to make the large side of the holes become the small
side. After the plugs were well set I drilled the
plugs out just large enough to allow the tapered
reamer to fit and be able to start cutting. I kept the
holes as small as I could because I was told the
smaller the peg diameter the easier it turns. Chalk
was recommended to cause the peg to stick little. This
old violin is a much better fit to my backward body
and mind.
daniel labelle
Please write if you have any comments

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