Robert J. (Bob) Spear has been in violin work since 1971. He retired from commercial work in the ’90s to focus on research and building. Bob is a strong supporter of the New Violin Family and has nearly completed his second octet. He lives near scenic Ithaca, New York, with his wife, Deena, and two embarrassingly friendly dogs, Poka and Tupplett.
▪ bio current as of 2012
2012
AL#111 p.20
Roger Alan Skipper Robert J. Spear
▪ Robert (Bob) Spear has been in lutherie more than 35 years and has been instrumental in the development and promotion of the new violin family of instruments.
2012
AL#111 p.24
Robert J. Spear
▪ Robert Spear’s reflections of Karl Roy, violin maker and teacher.
2008
AL#95 p.44 read this article
Robert J. Spear
▪ Did the Cremonese fiddle makers use geometry to plot the design of their violins? Can geometry explain the size relationships of violin parts and details? Spear thinks so. This is the third and final installment printed in sequential issues of AL. With 3 photos and 9 diagrams/charts.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#94 p.30 read this article
Robert J. Spear
▪ The second installment of how geometry might have been used to design the Cremonese violin. Part One was in AL#93. With 10 graphs and a photo.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#93 p.46 read this article
Robert J. Spear
▪ The author’s goal is to demonstrate that the Cremonese fiddle makers used geometry based on the Golden Mean to design their instruments. This installment concerns the body outline. With 2 photos and 9 graphs/drawings.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2006
AL#86 p.38
Robert J. Spear
▪ Straight story on the relationship of the Catgut Acoustical Society, the New Violin Family Association,a nd the Violin Society of America.
2005
AL#81 p.5 read this article
Robert J. Spear
▪ Spear announces the division of the New Violin Family Association (NVFA) from the Catgut Acoustical Society. The CAS then merged with the Violin Society of America. Both the CAS and the NVFA were founded and based upon the work of Carleen Hutchins.