New year, new lockdown. We violin makers are so lucky to have work we enjoy and I really feel the benefit of a nice warm, quiet, safe environment to work in. Never has my lovely purpose-built workshop seemed more enticing. As orders are thin on the ground I'm enjoying continuing my exploration of models I've either not made before, or not for some time. I wanted to make another violin. The last three have all been to a Stradivari model I love and which works really well, but I thought I might … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2021
325: 16 1/4 inch (41.2cm) viola based on Antonio Stradivari 1672 ‘Mahler’, 2021
As lockdown continues into February of 2021 and customers are thin on the ground, I'm continuing my survey of what I call the Stradivari Outliers: the models which are atypical of the Stradivari workshop output. This started by accident, when I measured and then made the 1734 'Habeneck' violin, in fact by Francesco Stradivari, Antonio's son. I'd also had in mind for some time that I'd like to make the 'de Munck' cello, another atypical instrument, the only one in the Stradivari output to a long, … [Read more...]
