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The case-side mouldings and joins |
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Click on these images for a larger image and for further details
Click on the images above for further information |
The cassa levatoia instruments, that is, the instruments which have a separate protective outer case, are particularly rich in mouldings. Click on the drawing at the left and you will see that, altogether, there are 6 mouldings that all go around all of the cases sides. Cutting, joining and glueing these mouldings was a particularly challenging and time-consuming part of the construction of this instrument.
The cassa falsa levatoia - what Hubbard most inelegantly called 'false-inner-outer' instruments, the ones in which the instrument and case are of integral construction - are missing the two outside mouldings, but do have all of the internal mouldings shown in the diagram as well as the cap moulding on top of the false inner case side. Hence there are almost as many mouldings on the integral instruments as on the separate instruments in their own outer case.
In addition to the mouldings shown in this diagram the jackrail, nameboard and the music desks are also decorated profusely with mouldings. But as these mouldings are a part of the Neapolitan tradition we decided not to cut corners and to design and construct the instruments with their full complement of mouldings according to historical practice.
The mouldings do of course add a beautiful and elegant appearance to the instruments. But in addition they also reinforce the case sides and add a considerable structural element to the design as well. The mouldings above the soundboard cover over the ugly gap between the edge of the soundboard and the inside of the case, left because the soundboard has to be made smaller than the case interior in order that it can be glue in places very quickly.
The many different mouldings sometimes meet in interesting and unusual ways, and add interest both to the interior and to the exterior of the instrument. The raised bass hitchpin rail is also moulded and meets the other mouldings in a particularly interesting way.
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