Heike Cockill builds violins, violas and cellos in a backyard in Planegg. She loves instruments with character and the moment when she breathes her soul into them.
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Annette Jäger, Planegg
A spruce stick and a maple bridge form the heart of the violin. The strings run over the bridge, which transmits their vibrations to the soundboard of the instrument. The stick placed in the body, the sound post, in turn transmits the vibrations to the bottom of the violin – it sounds. The precisely balanced interaction of bridge and sound post reveals the skill of the violin maker. Both wooden parts are movable, the sound post is only clamped between the top and the back. By gently tapping with a curved special tool, the sound post can be moved discreetly and the sound of the violin changes. When the sound is just right, “you don’t learn that during training,” says Heike Cockill, master violin maker from Planegg. You only learn that in your job.