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.
I can send violins and violas by courier company either in the UK or abroad, especially useful during the Covid-19 pandemic when travel is impossible.
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.
16 1/4 inch (41.2cm) Brescian-style viola 2012
This viola was a new departure for me: using the traditional principles of geometry to design an outline which fitted with the Brescian tradition but also incorporating my ideas of what might work well for a viola of this size. It was a successful experiment and I’ve gone on to use this model on several occasions for commissioned instruments.
I’m now offering this one for resale at £9000.00. Its owner bought it whilst a student at Chetham’s School of Music and has used it ever since, until he asked me to make him a slightly larger viola in 2019. He had a lot of success with this viola before moving to the new one: he was joint 3rd prize winner of the 2019 Agustin Aponte International String Competition and can be seen playing it on this YouTube video:
16 inch (40.5cm) viola based on Gasparo da Salo 2020
This has been one of my most popular viola designs, and earlier versions of it are now being played in orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia. It has a rich and dark sound. It’s for sale at £9500. Click here for the story of making it.
16 3/8 inch (41.5cm) viola by Martin Bouette, London 1972
My path has crossed with the Bouette family several times over my lifetime. Maurice Bouette was the founder of the Newark School of Violin Making, and was one of my teachers there. His son Martin was in turn a violin maker working at J&A Beare for his whole career, and by chance married one of my oldest friends. Martin sadly died in his late 60s about four years ago, and Susan has been working conscientiously through all his effects, finding good homes for all his tools, wood and instruments.
This viola was made towards the end of Martin’s time as a student at the violin making school in Mittenwald. He used to make instruments in the holidays with his father, and this is one. It’s a well-made instrument showing that he was well on the way to becoming the accomplished craftsman he was known as. It has an attractive red spirit varnish and the sound is resonant, warm and powerful. It would be a great instrument for a strong player, and very rewarding to play. It’s been set up beautifully by Andrew Fairfax, one of Martin’s colleagues at Beare’s, and one of my classmates at Newark.
I’m selling the viola at a reasonable £6000, and the entire price will be donated to fund training of young violin makers.
Cello based on Antonio Stradivari 1730 ‘de Munck’ 2021
The Covid lockdown didn’t have much to commend it but a temporary lack of orders gave me the opportunity to make some stock instruments and explore new models. I’ve long been fascinated by this late Stradivari cello; an unusual model in being exceptionally slender. It was a lot of fun to make, and has a powerful, even and projecting sound. It’s now available for sale at £18,000. Click here to read the full story of how I made it.
Cello by Maurice Bouette, 1965
It’s rare that I sell an instrument I didn’t make. This has a special story though. It was made by my teacher, Maurice Bouette, who was the founder of the Newark School of Violin Making. It was left unfinished at his death, and his family gave it to me to varnish and then to sell to benefit current violin making students. I love how life can come full circle, with time. The cello sounds and looks good, and it is priced at a reasonable £8000, the perfect instrument for a player who wants a reliable, good sounding instrument at less than the price of one of my own new cellos. The full story of the cello is here: https://helenviolinmaker.com/maurice-bouette-cello-1965/
Please contact me if you’d like to arrange to see the cello.
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. I often have ex-rental violas available for sale; if you are interested, please contact me for details.
For details of how the rental scheme works, visit this page of my site.
Three-quarter size violin 2012
This has been a much-loved violin, seeing a number of good players on their way. The YouTube video below shows it with its first player, Georgina Bloomfield. It’s now available to rent at £35 per month. Please contact me if you’d like to see it.
I'm pleased to revisit this viola, having already made this model as a commission earlier in the … Read More...
