About Me

The violin played a significant role in the lives of my grandparents. My father's father and his eight brothers all played the fiddle - while my mother's father was a woodworker and one of his brothers made violins and also gave lessons.

I’ve always loved musical instruments and I also love working with wood. It only took me 40+ years to combine my two passions.

Here's the (condensed) story:

I like all musical instruments but have only played a few - guitar and banjo - for my own entertainment. The violin has always appealed to me as being particularly colorful, sculptural and a working piece of art.

I inherited three of my great uncle's violins and an ancient book on violin making techniques, measurements, and tuning. These violins were in pretty sad shape. I doctored up the best of the lot and taught myself to play.

I was critical of his finish work. His measurements were accurate, but his detailing was only fair. I thought that he could have done better ... and that I could probably do better. When I tried I discovered that I love making violins!

I use the dimensions given in one of Henry Strobel's books on the classical style of Stradavari, based on a violin made by Leandro Bisiach, 1864 - 1946.

But I don't use traditional woods. Because a violin should look as beautiful as it sounds I decided to use various exotic woods for the backs and sides and I've had wonderful results!