modern violin maker
These days, much of my work is made to commission, and I also sometimes have instruments available from stock, as well as occasionally earlier instruments on resale. Find out more about current work at work in progress.
Please contact me if you’re interested in a resale instrument or rental; there may be something coming available soon.
My instruments at the moment are mostly made to commission, though from time to time I offer earlier instruments for resale. If you’d like to know if anything suitable is coming up, please get in touch.
Violin based on Paolo Maggini
At present I have one of my earlier violins available for resale. It’s based on an original violin by the 17th century maker from Brescia, Northern Italy, Paolo Maggini, which I was lucky to be able to measure. It has a quality of sound that combines warmth and brightness, and it’s even and responsive. The rich golden varnish has matured and worn to a lovely depth of colour. Its original owner bought it when she was a student at Chetham’s School of Music and it saw her through her time at the Royal Northern College of Music, but a busy life subsequently has left her little time to play, so reluctantly she parted with the violin. The violin is priced at £6500. Alternatively it is available for rental at £60 per month.
15 inch (38cm) two-cornered viola 2016
I made this viola for a talented young player who has now moved on to different musical fields. I used maple for the back that I’d been saving for years, which is particularly light in weight, and it made a really-good sounding instrument that I was particularly pleased with. I’m now offering it for sale at £6000 or for rental at £60 per month.
If you are interested in the possibility of hiring an instrument and don’t see what you want below, please do contact me, as it’s possible that a suitable instrument may come up in the near future as hire periods come to an end.
For details of how the rental scheme works, visit this page of my site.
13 1/4 inch viola 2016
This is a lovely sounding little viola, easy to play and responsive. It feels just the same as a three-quarter size violin and so is perfect for a young viola player. It was used from new by a pupil at Chetham’s School of Music, who has now outgrown it and moved to the next size up. It’s available to rent at £32 per month. You can see and hear it on this video.
14 1/4 inch (36.2cm) viola 2009
This viola is the equivalent of a full-size violin. Unusually, the back is from poplar which helps lend it a warm and soulful sound. It’s been very well-used; its previous players include a student from Chetham’s School of Music, now studying viola in Switzerland and the owner of one of my 16 inch violas, and a talented young viola player from Derbyshire. It’s available to rent at £36 per month.
This model is an old friend. The original belongs to David Strange, who has had a distinguished … Read More...
