A selection of articles by Alan Coggins

Blind Faith
What's in a label? Would a Strad sound as sweet by any other name? Blind tastings, popular in the wine world, offer a method of objective evaluation, but the string world doesn't believe in such tests. Alan Coggins wonders why. (The Strad, February 2007)

Wizards in Oz
Three overseas experts brought sparkle to the second Australian Violin Makers' Conference, each sharing their wisdom with a keen audience. (The Strad, July 2006)

Let it be
To conserve or to restore? That has always been the question. Alan Coggins examines the two different approaches and asks whether they really are mutually exclusive. (The Strad, March 2005)

Making it down under
Alan Coggins and Michael Lea examine the lives and work of two Australian violin making pioneers. (The Strad, July 2004)

Founding father
The workmanship on this 1938 violin by Arthur Edward Smith confirms his position at the top of the Australian violin making tree. (The Strad, July 2004)

Freaks of disordered thought
Henley's dictionary is full of praise for the finest luthiers, but when he came across a bad craftsman, he didn't mince his words. (The Strad, October 2003)

Casting of Violin Parts Using Silicone Rubber
Transcript of a presentation given at the First Australian International Violin Makers' Conference, Guildford, Victoria in March 2003.

If you want a classic craft to succeed, don't fiddle with it
Modern enterprise experts should mind their own business and let the age-old industries work in peace. (Sydney Morning Herald, 9 Sept 2002)

What's in a Label?
The piece of paper stuck inside your violin, viola or cello may not be a very reliable guide to the instrument's age, maker or country of origin.

Buzz Buzz Buzz, I Wonder Why It Does?
If you have a buzz on your violin, viola or cello read on - but don't expect an easy solution. (Published in Stringendo, Journal of the Australian Strings Association, Vol.20, No.2, 1998)

Other articles and resources

How to Make a Varnish
Adele Beardsmore cooks up a transparent varnish from a historical recipe. (Published in The Strad, Trade Secrets, February 2008)

Blind Listening Test
An interesting BBC radio program from the 1970s in which Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern and Charles Beare conduct a blind listening test on a number of instruments including a Stradivari and a Guarneri del Gesu.

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