Chanot violin

The Chanot violin was developed by the French violin maker François Chanot and is similar in shape to a guitar .

François Chanot

François Chanot (1788–1825) was born in Mirecourt as the son of violin maker Joseph Chanot. After completing his school education, however, he did not want to take over the traditional family company, but studied at the École polytechnique in Paris . He became a marine engineer and had a good career ahead of him. In 1816 he was dismissed from naval service as a sympathizer of Napoleon against his will. Thereupon he got into his father's company and used his knowledge to make changes to the previously baroque violin . In 1819 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume apprenticed to Chanot and later became an important violin maker himself.

Construction

Chanot's idea was to build a violin in which the wood grain of the top should be as long as possible. He simplified the contour of the violin so that it looked more like a guitar. The shape of the F-holes has also become simpler and conformed to the lines of the wood grain. In addition, Chanot dispenses with a tailpiece and attached the strings to an ebony plate. Finally, to make it easier to tension the strings, Chanot added a plate instead of a worm. On some Chanot violins, instead of a plate, there is also a scroll, which, however, rotates backwards.

Web links

• Rickert & Ringholz and Fiddarci Lutherie to Produce an Octave Violin Based on a True Chanot Violin. Don Rickert, December 27, 2008, accessed December 9, 2012 (English, detailed description of the Chanot violin). 
• Chanot Violin at the National Music Museum. National Music Museum / The University of South Dakota, April 30, 2008, accessed December 9, 2012 . 
• Savoir-faire: The Chanot family of violin makers. Corilon violins, accessed December 9, 2012 .