Roller Skates and Mechanical Swans: Benjamin Hebbert examines the inventive genius of John Joseph Merlin and his Cremona Emulus | New Violin in Honour of World War I Poets: Steve Burnett introduces his new violin tribute to Siegfried Sassoon marking the centenary meeting of the Craiglockhart poets | BVMA Violin Restoration Course: Rose Handy reports on her experience of the course at West Dean in April | Newark School of Violin Making: Colin Garrett and Ruth Robertson report on the threat to international students | Obituary : Martin Bouette: John Topham pays tribute to a great maker
Anne Inglis interviews maker and outgoing Newsletter editor Shem Mackey | The Inside Story of Gut Strings: Daniel Larson describes the total process of making gut strings | The Mother of All Buttons: Bow maker Peter Oxley analyses his recent reconstruction of a gold-mounted button for a bow by F.X. Tourte | Capital Choices: Terry Pamplin gives a guided tour around London Guildhall University, and Robin Hamilton and Paul Jefferies tell of their experiences there | Letter from Abroad: Roger Hargrave is the first maker writing in a new series | Management Committee Report | Readers' Forum | On viols, using hand tools, and gum mastic
How did they do that? John Dilworth talks about Brescian makers | Cleaning Brushes: Renate Fink gives useful advice | BVMA Maker's Day '97: Shem Mackey | Book Reviews: Two reference books are examined | Exhibition Update: John Milnes reports on progress | Benslow Trust Exhibitions: Christoph Gotting explains the plan | The Welsh School of Violin Making: Miranda Green and John Wilkinson talk about the school | Dartington Violin Conference: Shem Mackey gives a report
Vogtfander Violin Makers: Tansin Deitenbeck | Newark Violin School 25 years old: Three views of New| String Technology Lecture: Michael Hill on Pickering lecture | Book Review: Alan Seago reviews 'The Violin Explained' | More on Wolf Notes: Heale, Beament and Johnson on the 'wolf’ | Letters | Heat treating Tool Steel | Pest Treatment
Judith Blackwell interviews Florian Leonhard | Budapest Violin Competition: Tibor Szemmelweisz | Old English Chisels and Gouges: Robin Aitchison seeks a keen edge | Steamed Seams: Put the kettle on say's Glyn C. Jones | Christoph Landon Exhibition: Michael Hill on American 'Makers Day' | Titaniun Alloy Violins: Nicolas Herbert's different approach | Wolf Notes: Marc Soubeyran suggests some remedies
Letters: Ozone, Tight set-ups, Madder Paste and more
Electric Violins: David Bruce Johnson faces the challenge | From Baroque to Modern Violin: Ephraim Segerman | An Interview with Rene Morel: Michael Hill in New York | Book Review: Andrew Fairfax reviews "Withers" History | British Bowmakers: Peter Oxley outlines a new book | New Product: Louise Dandy on Renaissance Wax | Food for Thought: J.P. Dondelinger argues for the machine | Letters: Ozone danger with UV
"400" Years Exhibition John Dilworth says "USE YOUR VOTE” | At the Bench: Judith Blackwell interviews John Topham | Conscience: Florian Leonhard discusses re-thicknessing | Status of Violins in Public Collections: Andy Lamb on the Violin and the Museum | The Bracsa of Transylvania: Claire Doyle describes Romanian "Viola" | Springing of the Bass Bar: J.E. Mclennan on the science of Bass Bars | Dartington Violin Conference 1996:cShem Mackey reports on Darrington | Letters: Bow Wood, Violin selection
Glue manufacture by Dennis Plowright | Alternative bow materials by Ulrika Wegst | Bow lapping by Roy Collins | Bromberg on US Violins by Michael Hill | Retouching by Christoph Götting | Bow rehairing by Trevor Liversidge | Rowan Armour-Brown by Paul Bowers
Judith Blackwell interviews Marc Soubeyran | Dendrochronology by Peter Klein | Milan’s school of violin making by John Basford | Cleaning and gluing cracks by Christoph Götting | The Manchester International Cello festival by Kai-Thomas Roth
Horniman Museum’s collection by Andrew Lamb | Pernambuco by Paul Collins | Report of FFI meeting | Vegetable Lakes by David Rubio | The dangers of history by Carlo Chiesa
What’s the buyer looking for? By Peter Trevelyan | Surface preparation by David Rubio | Report of FFI Talk | Dendrochronology and violins by Peter Klein | Horse hair/bow hair by Michael Sowden | Wood selection by Anthony Elmsley
Letter from the Chairman (Marc Soubeyran) | ‘Old’ for new instruments by John Topham | The Del Gesu Exhibition by John Dilworth | Propolis by John Basford | Bass Bar Springing by Wilf Saunders | A Brief History of Dartington by Colin Wills
