Design Your Instrument

Every musician wants that special relationship with their instrument — one that produces the sound that they seek, with ease and comfort. The violin family may appear simple in design, but even the slightest modification can dramatically change the voice of an instrument. Over the centuries, this has generated an enormous range of sound quality that musicians and luthiers have worked to appreciate, understand, and harness.

Together, we will create the instrument and sound for you. It all starts with choosing the right model, wood, and dimensions. The conversation continues throughout construction, ensuring your relationship with the instrument from “cradle to quartet.”

Model

Choose the model. All of my models have their own acoustic and aesthetic features, are time-tested, and are adapted from those of the best historic makers: Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, Gasparo da Salò, Testore, and many more.

Wood

Choose the wood. Explore the best pieces of my collection: red spruce from the “acoustic forest,” Italy’s Valle del Fiume, and maple from the Balkan Mountains — all naturally aged for the best acoustic and structural results.

construction

Collaborate. Be as involved as possible and get live photo updates as your instrument comes to life. Make decisions together at different stages of making that will influence the sound and comfort of your instrument.

Model

What model represents you and your sound? Choose among my various models, or allow me to make one custom, just for you.

I use various models originating from the best makers of the past, including Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Andrea Guarneri, Amati, Gasparo da Salò, Testore, Francessco Ruggeri, Domenico Montagnana, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, and more. My models build on the successes of the past, always striving for a perfect symbiosis between instrument and musician.

Luthiers often choose among a similar set of models to create their instruments, but we each have our own interpretation. Studying the shape of a model/instrument can tell us a lot about the richness and clarity of its sound across its range, and can be the first step in deciding what modifications to make to achieve the desired result.

Learn about the process of making the model - using modern tools to capture the most out of the vision of the past

Antonio Stradivari (C.1644 - 1737)

Considered to be the greatest violin maker of all time. Stradivari lived for over 90 years and made approximately 1000 instruments, including violins, violas, cellos, guitars, and even harps. What I appreciate the most about Stradivari’s work is the way he constantly researched and developed his models to achieve better sounding instruments with fine craftsmanship.

Models used:
Violin - Stradivari “Lady Blunt” 1721, forma PG, used in his golden period
Violin - Stradivari “Viotti” 1709, forma BG
Cello - Stradivari “Piatti” 1720, forma B

The Guarneri Family

Andrea Guarneri apprenticed with the great Nicolò Amati, carrying on his tradition as a luthier in Cremona, Italy. Andrea had two sons: Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’, who inherited the workshop, and Pietro Guarneri di Mantua, known most for his “wasp”-shaped violin. Giuseppe filius Andreae also had two sons: the elder Pietro Guerneri II, who moved to Venice seeking new clientele around the time that Stradivari began to dominate the market in Cremona, and the younger Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù'.

Bartolomeo’s fame came after his death when one of his violins, called “The Cannon,” was played by Niccolò Paganini, the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time. del Gesù was known for his intense creativity and daring design choices that created sweet, dark-sounding instruments, which more than compensated for his lack of attention to detailed workmanship.

Models used:
Viola - Andrea Guerneri “Conte Vitale” 1676
Violin - Guarneri del Gesù “The Cannon” 1743

THE Amati FAMILY

The Amati family of Cremona is one of the most ancient and well-known families of the violin-making world. Andrea Amati is credited as the father of the modern violin. Other scholars credit the earliest violins to Gasparo da Salò, who was a contemporary of Amati. The Amati lineage created the Cremonese School of violin-making, which is considered to be the most prestigious to this day. Nicolò, grandson of Andrea and son (one of twelve) of Girolamo, is considered the greatest maker of his family and served as master to many of the great luthiers to come: Andrea Guarneri, Giovanni Battista Rogeri, Francesco Rugeri, Jacob Steiner, and Antonio Stradivari.

Model used:
Viola - Antonio & Girolomo Amati “La Stauffer” 1615

Wood

All of the wood in my collection is naturally aged for a minimum of 10 years. The aging process allows the wood to rid itself of excess moisture and humidity, and to begin crystalizing natural rosins. Wood that is not aged properly is more likely to deform with time and to have less optimal sound results. All my pieces are hand picked to capture a variety of sound and aesthetic characteristics.

Red spruce

The spruce top is perhaps the single most important component of the instrument because it projects and creates the character of the instrument’s sound. I use spruce from the Dolomites of Northern Italy, which has a strong, straight grain that conducts sound maximally.

Maple

Maple is used for the back, ribs, and scroll of the violin. It is a hard wood known for its flamed beauty and resonance. I use maple from the Balkan Mountains in southeast Europe. I have a variety of one-piece and two-piece backs with various flame patterns.

Ebony

Ebony is known for being the strongest, densest wood used in the making of violins and other musical instruments. It has a beautiful, black color even though it is “born” pale. The density of ebony prevents it from wearing out as quickly as other types of wood, making it the most resilient material for the fingerboard.

Ebony trees grow very slowly and are nearing extinction. Please watch the linked video explaining the state of ebony by Bob Taylor, a guitar maker and ebony supplier. It is very likely that we, as a community of makers and musicians, will not continue to see purely black ebony because we will transition to use more marbled varieties, which can be equally dense but are often less preferred because of their color.

Construction

Watch the birth of your instrument with weekly updates and pictures. Be a part of the discussion about how to find balance between external (strings) and internal (bass bar, sound post, gluing tension, etc.) sources of pressure that determine the resonance of the instrument. Send musical inspiration to be played as your instrument takes shape.

Questions of Comfort: I can customize the neck shape, neck length, and/or stop length resulting in longer/shorter string lengths to meet your needs.

Do you feel like it’s hard playing your instrument?
Where is your thumb positioned while playing?
How would you like the neck shaped? Round/V shaped or anything in between?
How wide would you like the fingerboard?

Other customizable options: Choose…
…purfling,
…inlays,
…scroll design,
…inscriptions and dedications to be concealed inside the soundbox,
…your varnish — spirit or oil,
…your style — classic or antiqued 15th-20th century,
…your bridge type,
…your fittings,
…your strings,

…YOUR INSTRUMENT.