omo: Recent Episodes
for Luthiers, by Luthiers
We cover the lives of violin makers, their best parts and worst parts, yesterday and today. Historical stories, interviews with experts and makers in the field. Omobono Stradivari was the least liked son of his father, Antonio, he was remembered in Antonio's will as a screw up. He is our north star. We are all part of this. We all belong exactly here.
Rozie and Jerry discuss the importants of museums. We find out about the National Music Museum and it's reopening. For our Coda, we catch up with Ben Hebbert and get some words of wisdom. Special Guests: Andrew Dipper, Benjamin Hebbert, and Claire Givens.
Rozie and Jason record live from the Oberlin Restoration Workshop with too many guests to list!
Michael Doran is back on Omo to talk about all things sharpening. Special Guest: Michael Doran.
It’s time to dive deep into Pernambuco! This is a deeply consequential topic for stringed instrument musicians, music shop owners, and makers alike. What is the future of this endangered wood for bow making? Will it be legal to buy or sell just a few short weeks from now? Will Brazil, with the right leadership, be able to protect this dwindling resource? Join us, as we untease this thorny subject. For more information regarding the current situation, please check out allianceusa.org
Brandon talks all things VSA with Anya Burgess and Chris Ulbricht. Items for the VSA scholarship auction can be brought to the convention and dropped off in the vendor room on Monday, November 14th, or shipped to Howard Core by November 1st. Ship to: Hans Anderson/Howard Core Inc. 23371 Mulholland Dr 271 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Special Guests: Anya Burgess, Chris Ulbricht , and Elizabeth Perry .
Rozie talks about her recent trip to Vienna, and the Viennese tradition of instrument making with Ben and Jerry (not the icecream guys.) Special Guest: Benjamin Hebbert.
Team Omo is joined by Christopher Reuning, Claire Givens, and Stefan Hersh to discuss their process for instrument attribution. Special Guests: Brandon Godman, Christopher Reuning, Claire Givens, and Stefan Hersh .
On Rozie and Brandon's continuing search to understand experts in the identification field, in this episode we explore the tools and resources of the trade. From blacklights to libraries, dendrochronology to databases, we consult with Christopher Reuning, Claire Givens, and Benjamin Hebbert. This episode sponsored by Hancrafted Market (https://handcrafted.market/) and Learning Trade Secrets (https://www.learningtradesecrets.com/). Special Guests: Benjamin Hebbert, Brandon Godman, Christopher Reuning, and Claire Givens.
Three experts in the violin identification field share with us how they got their start. Join Rozie and Brandon as they chat with Christoper Reuning, Ben Hebbert, and Sawyer Thomson. Special Guests: Benjamin Hebbert, Brandon Godman, Christopher Reuning, and Sawyer Thomson.
Do inanimate objects sometimes have a will of their own? Does a violin have it's own agenda? Tsukomogami is a japanese folk belief that tools become more alive over time. Join Rozie DeLoach and Brandon Godman, discussing a few violin histories in which there seems to be more afoot than just the influence of humans. Jerry Lynn tells the story of the confederate owner's viola, Rozie discusses a few instruments from the Violins of Hope project, and Brandon tells the tale of the violin that did not want to be touched. Special Guest: Brandon Godman.
What are the origins of hide glue, and how did it become THE glue of choice for violin makers? Join Rozie DeLoach and Jerry Lynn as they interview violinmaker and glue enthusiast Michael Doran, who even experimented making his own batch of hide glue. And stay tuned for MJ Kwan, who talks about her Ultimate Glue Test and the recent national results of the Luthier Income Survey. Watch MJ's ultimate glue test (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBdbTPv172c). You too can fill out the luthier income survey (https://forms.gle/yrKpCD7MY25JQdhw9). This episode is proudly sponsored by Learning Trade Secrets (https://www.learningtradesecrets.com/), House of Note (https://www.houseofnote.com/), and you (https://www.patreon.com/omopod?fan_landing=true). Special Guests: Michael Doran and M. J. Kwan.
Brandon Godman joins Rozie & Jerry, discussing the thrill of violin hunting, along with his multifaceted career. Splitting his time between The Fiddle Mercantile in San Francisco and The Violin Shop in Nashville, Brandon is deeply knowledgable through the country in the art of matching the right violin to the right restorer and right shop. Special Guest: Brandon Godman.
Rozie and Jerry talk with the executive director of the Chicago School of Violinmaking, Antoine Nedelec. Special Guest: Antoine Nedelec.
What feels like family? For us, its Oberlin. Rozie and Jerry talk with Anna Hoffman, manager of the Oberlin Conservatory summer programs, about what the program offers for luthiers and beyond. For years this campus has been connecting people in the arts and fostering excellence.
From choosing the right tree for tonewood, to safely getting logs down the mountain, award winning bass maker Trevor Davis shares with Chris and Rozie his experiences traveling to Colorado to fell spruce. Special Guest: Trevor Davis.
What's next for Women at the workbench? Join Rozie as she interviews Jeemin Kim and Jennifer Creadick, co founders of the nonprofit organization (and all around amazing gathering of women) - Women in Lutherie. We discuss long standing issues in this field and how the WIL group is pushing the needle forward to create a more equitable space for women in this field. Special Guests: Jeemin Kim and Jennifer Creadick.
Cameron has invested countless hours in finding workbench repair hacks, so that he and and other luthiers can have longer careers without sacrificing their bodies to repetitive stress injuries. Chris and Rozie go over several of his discoveries. Coda with Rob Wood, on exercises every luthier should be doing. Special Guest: Cameron Robertson.
Chris and Rozie chat with one of the founders of the internationally recognized violin auction house Tarisio - Jason Price. We cover some of the history of buying & selling, the purpose of auctions, and how Tarisio has changed the market. Special Guest: Jason Price.
With influence far and wide across many levels of the violin industry, Christoper Reuning joins Chris and Rozie to discuss the many turns his career path has taken. Special Guest: Christopher Reuning.
Rozie and Jerry interview master retoucher Iris Carr on her many seamless restoration jobs, her history of rubbing elbows with some of the greats in the field, and her newly launched education course, available now, for YOU! Special Guest: Iris Carr.
Anya shares with Chris and Rozie the history of Lafayette, Louisiana, and it's unique Cajun heartbeat, and the unique challenges of doing luthier work in swampland. Special Guest: Anya Burgess.
Has anyone else out there had the urge to flee the US in the last year? We found the luthier who did just that. Rahmaan Phillip shares with us his story of the last year, when the vacation to Vietnam turned into a more permanent stay. Special Guest: Rahmaan Phillip.
Happy New Year! We present an audio version of the VSA Quiz Show we conducted in November. We look forward to seeing you Omosapiens for Season 3 in January!
How does a modern maker make money? What's the options for selling and how does one make it work? Chris Jacoby shares his years of experience making and selling, what has worked and what hasn't. We share lines we've used to make sales, and continue our segment: Two Truths and A Lie.
When was the hot hot evolution of the bow? Rozie and Jerry bequeath the history of bowmaking in France, plus bow maker Matt Wehling delights us with his awewsomeness and schools us on works toward preservation of endangered bow materials. Stay tuned as Chris, Jerry, and Rozie play two truths and a lie.
But how did violin making come to Mexico and South America? When European instrument making met indigenous American hands, what sprang from this? Join Rozie & Jerry for an interview with Jaime Gabriel, Mexican luthier and recent transplant to the states. Special Guest: Jaime Gabriel.
Join us, Omosapiens, as we explore violin making in the greater continent, not just the states. Ben Hebbert chats with Rozie about some earliest known American Makers, and later luthier Damien Stoppani pauses his travels to tell us about Lutheria Sobre Ruedas - Luthiery On Wheels, and his travels along the continent in his bus. Special Guest: Damien Stoppani.
Join Chris, Jerry, and Rozie as they explore baroque style from both a luthiers perspective as well as a player's perspective. Special guests Sarah Peck walks us through her relationships with clients seeking to play in the baroque style, followed by an interview with Juliana Soltis, touring professional baroque cellist, exploring the different colors of sound created in this unique time period. Special Guests: Juliana Soltis and Sarah Peck.
Across the globe, shops are closed, and work for musicians is difficult to find. Listeners contribute: how are we coping? Hosts Rozie, Chris, and Jerry update us.
Chris and Rozie chat with Ben Hebbert about the state of our industry, facing Covid-19 pressures. Special Guest: Benjamin Hebbert.
Continuing our talk on chemical safety! Also we have a talk with Charissa Lynn (BSN, RN, flight nurse) for a discussion on shop & workplace safety in light of the Covid-19 outbreak. Stay safe out there!
What kinds of chemicals are we exposed to in this industry, and how can we better protect ourselves? Join us for part 1 where we interview a young cancer survivor.
In the summer of 2015 a violin theft ring was operating in in the south eastern United States. Hear the story of how the arrest unfolded in Pablo Alfaro's shop. Special Guest: Pablo Alfaro.
What happens when the work you love endeavors to cripple you? How do luthiers maintain when the work they love is excruciatingly painful? Ryan Davidson and the legendary David Wiebe weigh in.
Chris, Jerry, and Rozie report on the Violin Society of American Convention in Dallas, luthiers confess to St. Omobono
The violin has a dark side, so much so that there are legends it was a creation of the devil. Chris and Rozie explore the Romani tale of the creation of the violin. Ben Hebbert shares dark stories in violinmaking history. Special thanks to Glen Gaudin for calling in with his haunted violin story! In the coda, Chris, Jerry, and Rozie tell the weirdest fiddle head they've ever encountered. Special Guest: Benjamin Hebbert.
How much advanced technology is acceptable in instrument making & repair? Greg Sapp and Jerry Lynn disclose some of the machinery they work with and get jiggy. In our listener feedback segment, Chris, Jerry, and Rozie do a mental health checkup, followed by some incredibly appropriate Luthier Cat Calls. Special Guest: Greg Sapp.
Marilyn Wallin joins us for a guided tour of the Violin Society of America - sharing her early years submitting some of her very first instruments for judging, to later becoming the president. Also - what makes a healthy master/apprentice relationship? Chris, Jerry, & Rozie share some thoughts and look forward to hearing from you. Come see us at the VSA Conference, November 8 & 9, in Dallas TX. Special Guest: Marilyn Wallin.
How do we pass on our training to the next generation, today? Join us for a chat with Ben Hebbert, and following an interview with Rodney Mohr and his daughter, Kate Mohr. In our listener feedback segment, we cover: what are the top 5 books for a beginner luthier to own? Special Guest: Benjamin Hebbert.
Italian luthier Sofia Vettori joins Jerry & Rozie to talk about making and coming from a family of makers. Her grandfather's shop barely survived the war and the family has been building on his efforts to this day. Chris and Rozie take a listener question: what were some of your personal fears about becoming financially stable & successful, starting out in this field? Thanks for contributing, Wyatt!
Rozie reports live from the Oberlin Ohio restoration workshop, chatting with luthiers from various parts of the world.
We take Luthier vs. Luthier one step further - in Guadagnini Trivia. Guests Chris Ulbricht and Jeff Thorell battle for dominance. Who will tell us the five cities Guadagnini lived in? Who knows how many strings a viola d'amore has? Who will win the genuine St. Omobono thimble from Cremona?
Chris and Rozie interview major contributors to this field: guitar luthiers. We celebrate our similarities as wew welcome Beau Hannam, custom guitar and Uke maker as well as Matt Eich of Mule Resophonic Guitars. Special Guests: Beau Hannam and Matt Eich.
Cohosts Rozie, Chris, and Jerry catch up! Chris gets technical on what's going on with the restoration of the River Fiddle, Jerry and Rozie discuss their trip to Philadelphia to attend the Freeman's auction, and Rozie catches us up on her workshop week at Learning Trade Secrets. Listeners want to know: whats up with antiquing varnish? Why are new violins still being made? Tune in.
In this episode we celebrate the many women who are part of this field. Chris & Rozie start by exploring the lore of Catarina Guaneri. We interview Aubrey Alexander, Korinthia Klein, and Robyn Sullivan. Coda with Jerry Lynn. Special Guest: Jerry Lynn.
Rozie & Jerry read listener mail and talk about their own continuing struggles with balance. This episode was made with a lot of gratitude for our kind listeners. Special Guest: Jerry Lynn.
Chris & Rozie explore the mental health challenges that come with violin building. While some bring OCD tendencies to the bench (which has its benefits as well as detractors), others battle the inner demons that come with the territory of being your own judge, alone in your workshop. Chris talks about his year dubbed "the breakdown" and Julian Cossman Cooke gets candid about his struggles with depression. Coda with our bud Jerry Lynn. Special Guests: Jerry Lynn and Julian Cossmann Cooke.
Join Chris & Rozie along with Ben Hebbert as we take listener questions. Do you want to go to violin making school? We discuss some great options. Do we think the violin will change over the next 100 years? What are some new technologies in the market? And we learned the difference between a fez and a thinking cap. Ben tells us where not to eat in Cremona. Special Guest: Benjamin Hebbert.
Chris and Rozie discuss Jean Baptiste Vuillaume and speculate over the kind of person he was in 19th century Paris. He was a modern man in his own time, witnessing change in the violin industry and trying his hand at various inventions. We gain perspective from Jerry Pasewicz, who has been in the industry 40 years and witnessed change of his own. Coda with Jenelle Steele, who recounts a shop gag. Special Guest: Jerry Pasewicz.
We talk to you! The community! Further discussion on one of Antonio Stradivari's other mysterious children, imposter syndrome, fake labels, and inappropriate jokes. Special shout out to: David Van Zandt, Rovert Weindl, Amanda N. Ewing, Sidney Wagner, Aleta Caraway Special Guest: Jerry Lynn.
How can you tell a violin is what the owner says it is? What qualifies a person as an expert? Why are some people in the field reluctant to tell you a violin is a fake, even when they know it as a fact? Rozie and Chris discuss the Voller Brothers and discuss their hand in the infamous fake - the Balfour Strad. Special guest Ben Hebbert, violin expert. For our coda, Rozie and Jerry judge Chris' luthier jokes. Special Guests: Benjamin Hebbert and Jerry Lynn.
With the exception of a trip he made when he was 18, Omobono Stradivari spent his entire life in the workshop of his father, Antonio. In his will, he is remembered as a screw-up, noted for the debt he incurred on that one trip. Today, violin makers remember him in our own screw-ups. "That's an omoboner," we recall when we foul up an instrument. But we have something to learn from this fellow, as so many of us, quitely working at our workbenches, suffer deeply from imposter syndrome. We think we don't measure up to the others in this field. In episode 1, Chris & Rozie introduce themselves, admit to some of their own maker & repair mistakes, and speculate on why we give Omo such a hard time. Special Guest: Jerry Lynn.