Cedar Rapids man dreams of building an 'incredible violin'

CEDAR RAPIDS — The shrill, yet beautiful, soprano song coaxed by a professional musician drawing a bow against a violin's strings, ignited a passion for the instrument in Joseph Mallie.

When popular Russian violinist David Rubinoff held the high note with careful patience during a concert in Tipton, something stirred inside the young Mallie.

'I remember dad saying that a violin is closest to the human voice,' said Mallie, whose father was an amateur violinist. 'A dad doesn't have to talk a lot for things to be carried with you. It's those moments that stay with you in life.'

For a long time, though, Mallie kept the special memory quiet in his heart, not thinking to pursue his love for violins until years later.

A great violin

It was in 2000, not long after he retired from 22 years of electrical work with Rockwell Collins, that Mallie built his first violin. In the last 14 years, he's built 30 more in a constant pursuit of perfection.

'No matter how much you know about violin building, there are so many factors that go into a violin that affect how it plays and sounds,' said Mallie. 'You can experiment with any aspect of the violin and it's going to affect it. That's what makes it so exciting and mysterious.'

For a few hours each day, Mallies hunkers down in the basement, a cozy, quiet space for his work.

With approximately 50 parts per instrument, it takes him anywhere from 55 to 60 hours to complete one instrument, followed by another 10 for hours of tweaking.

Scattered on the table are Mallie's tools, from chisels to measurement devices, scales, a crockpot to melt glue, instruction books, recording devices, chunks of wood, violin bits and pieces here and there.

On the wall, 10 or so violins, mounted to show a small collection of his work.

He dreams of building an 'incredible violin.'

Building a perfect one, is unrealistic, like a dream, he says.

'A great violin, I think it's going to feel and sound a certain way when I play it,' he said. 'The violin expresses the human mind, heart and soul, and, I believe, the human spirit, including the sound of that pure, sweet, even painful yearning for perfection. Will that instrument be built by these hands? If God is willing, it's possible.'

Filling the spirit

Because Mallie feels he lacks certain knowledge about violins, he turns to a friend, mentor and professional string player, John Schultz, for advice.

Schultz, who owns Schultz Strings and plays for Orchestra Iowa, regularly plays Mallie's violins.

They are unique, Schultz says, with a warm, 'artisan' sound.

'When he's playing them, it's just incredible,' said Mallie. 'That sound coming out of a violin I've built ... it just fills the spirit, and sometimes I'm just amazed at these beautiful sounds coming out of this collection of wood.'

A father's footsteps

Much of Mallie's inspiration for violin building came from his father, who had a deep love for violin music. He had played occasionally when Mallie was younger, but eventually his farmer hands became to arthritic and swollen.

With a shaking voice, Mallie reflected on his father's sudden passing from a blood clot 42 years ago.

'As time passes, I think about him more. I just know that he'd be proud of what I've done with my violin building and playing … no doubt that would have been something he would have loved to have done himself.' he said, pausing. 'I can kind of feel him smiling up there, it warms my heart.'