Charles Maucotel was the first of the Parisian makers to come to London. He made a handful of extremely fine violins for Edward Withers, this being one of them.
Based on a Strad model which displays a remarkable wood choice and workmanship of the very highest level.
Unbelievable condition (crack free) with a tone and projection fit for a soloist.
LOB: 358 mm
This is a violin by one of the most respected English makers of the 20th century, George Wulme Hudson. It’s a brilliant sounding violin suitable for a budding soloist, and in excellent condition.
Labelled Antonio Gragnani this is an extremely well-made violin in the style of Antonio Gragnani.
Owned, loved and played by a brilliant London violin player for many years.
The tone is very mature and dark, not lacking power.
LOB: 356 mm
A Strad copy from Hills golden period in perfect condition with a back that rivals a William Turner sunset. A true work of art.
This violin is also featured in Bruce Babbitts book ‘The Wanderer’ on pages 186-187.
The back is one piece of flamed maple and a table of two pieces of fine-grained spruce. It Boasts a highly flamed and immaculately cut maple inked scroll all covered in a beautiful varnish unique to the violins made by Hills in this golden period.
The tone is strong and focused with the violin being able to produce a large dynamic range.
LOB: 358 mm
Bein & fushi Certificate
Federico Fiora was born in 1972 and studied violin making in Cremona in 1990, under the guidance of masters Ezio Scarpini and Stefano Conia. He had his apprenticeship under the guidance of violin making master Gio Batta Morassi in a CEE workshop until 1993.
In 1996, he opened his own workshop, currently situated in Cremona. Fiora draws inspiration for his instruments from the rich Cremonese tradition.
This violin is a model of Guarneri del Gesu’s 1742 Cannone violin.
It looks fantastic and sounds even better.
L.O.B: 355 mm
Another great English maker. He made a fair number of violins for the prestigious J&A Beares whose label those particular violins bear.
Apart from this, he didn’t label his work with his own name, often inserting fictitious labels or no label at all. The tone is top notch.
LOB: 354 mm
Fantastic condition
A fine violin by Thomas Earl Hesketh,1937
Labelled Fac-simile Joseph Guarnerius Del Gesu made by T. Earle Hesketh, Manchester No.84 1937
I have owned 6 Hesketh violins in a short period of 5 years. His best instruments are the Guarneri copies he made and finished himself in the 1930s.
Manchester’s own Ansaldo Poggi
LOB: 354 mm
Perfect condition
This Italian Neapolitan violin by Raffaele Calace is a full-blooded Italian Instrument with a warm, large, Italian sound dating back to 1895 its maker was a liutaio in every sense of the word, since the term describes someone who crafts both violins and lutes.
Like many other southern Italian ateliers, Raffaele Calace’s workshop had stayed in the family for over three generations and earned itself an outstanding reputation for its lutes and mandolins. Raffaele Calace himself won 11 gold medals and 8 silvers, in addition to numerous other awards for his instruments.
To this day, he remains a well-established figure in the world of plucked instruments, known as a virtuoso, composer and innovative designer of new kinds of mandolins, whereas the string instruments from his atelier are best known amongst a select group of well-informed aficionados– despite the fact that his clients included excellent musicians such as Fritz Kreisler.
The violin has a beautiful one piece back of quality highly flamed maple. The top of a fine-grained spruce and the scroll cut form maple. The luxurious oil varnish of a blood-red colour.
The tone is quite astonishing, lots of power, very responsive and easy to play yet still has a sweetness to the sound.
LOB: 359 mm
Lockey Hill was Joseph Hill’s fifth and most distinguished violin-making son. Lockey Hill (1756-1810) Stamped below the button Longman Lukey & Co. No.26 Cheapside, London.
We can say that the violin was made around 1775 give or take a year.
This is an extremely fine example with a single piece highly flamed slab cut maple back, the table made from one piece of medium grained spruce with the grain narrowing towards the right flank.
The scroll carved of flamed maple is particularly elegant and well cut. The varnish is a reddish brown colour over a golden ground.
The condition is rather amazing, with just two restored wing cracks.
The tone is movingly good. Extremely responsive and powerful.
LOB: 355 mm
Labelled Johann Gottlob Ficker Vilino,
Correlpontent Romani Cremona, 1798
Also branded I*G*F
This is a wonderful early ivory edged example from 1798.
It is 100 percent original, even down to the original base bar. Only J.G.F cut a base bar like this. (Different shape and dimensions)
Also, it has its original translation neck, again, unique to Mr Ficker and the same goes for the finger board shape and design.
I am also very fond of the upside down ivory pyramid shaped saddle. (A work of art in itself)
Apart from one very small restored wing crack, the violin is perfect.
My pictures definitely don’t do this violin justice.
See more information HERE
LOB: 357 mm
A fine German violin from Mittenwald. The violin is in really good condition with no major repairs.
Bearing a Mathias Albani label which is not uncommon for these finer Klotz Violins.
A glorious dark and rich tone. Once you pick it up you won’t stop playing it!
LOB: 354 mm
John Walker was featured in a 1920 edition of the British Violin Maker’s dictionary for his beautiful amber oil instrument varnishes. Primarily occupied with instrument repairs and restoration, he made a relatively small number of instruments over the course of his lifetime. Even so, Walker’s instruments are known for their aesthetic as well as sonic beauty that evidence the maker’s experience with fine violins.”
(Terra Nova violins)
I would like to add that his later works with a light red chippy varnish are not in the same league as his earlier works up to and around 1935.
John walker studied alongside the great Carl Becker of Chicago, then moved to the U.K. (Birmingham)
This fine example is in perfect condition.
LOB: 359 mm
Christopher Rowe attended Newark School of Violin Making from 1984 to 1987, during which time he won a joint runner up violin prize at ‘Facta Britannia’ 1986. On leaving Newark he worked as a repairer/restorer for a short while at Edward Withers until the retirement of Dietrich Kessler. From that point until the present day he has only made his own instruments. Over the years Christopher has tried out many patterns, but has now settled on three violin patterns: 1735 Guarneri del Gesu (Plowden), a 1716 and a 1724 Stradivari. The viola pattern is based on Amati. To date Christopher has made over 450 instruments, including cellos.
Christopher is a lender to the Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme which is a UK charity that lends high-quality instruments to talented young musicians. He also has a viola on permanent exhibition in the Museo del Violino, Cremona.
Awards include:
Gold medal for viola Cremona 1997
Bronze medal for violin & viola Mittenwald 1997 Special mention for violin & viola Paris 1999
Played professionally from 1995-2021 when the lady sadly passed away.
A truly fabulous violin.
LOB: 358 mm
This violin is an excellent sounding old French violin after Stradivarius. It is an instrument labelled “Lafleur Paris and London” indicating it was made for or in collaboration with one of the major London violin firms. The workmanship is of excellent quality and aesthetics. The woods are beautiful and well selected – the top made of medium grained spruce, the two piece back of flamed maple.
A good Mirecourt violin
Plays as well as any pre-1900 Collin Mezin
LOB: 359 mm
Bisch’s career production is estimated at around 500 instruments and range from student instruments to concert violins. The best samples bearing his stamp are both signed and numbered.
Honours and Awards
1924 Silver Medal at the Nancy Exposition
1927-1961 Gold Medal at the Paris Exhibition
1928 Grand Prix of Craftsmanship
1961 Best French Craftsman
This striking Guarneri copy made by Paul Bisch is branded and dated inside.(1943)
The tone Is typical of a good French violin from this period.
Strong, pure and bright.
LOB: 358 mm
A fantastic Guarneri copy with a dark rich tone.
LOB: 356 mm
The violin is crack free.
By William Meredith Morris
He is the son of Jeffery and Eleanor Langley Gilbert, and was born in New Romney on Aug. 16, 1850. He is the direct representative of an old Kentish family, one of the most notable members of which, in recent times, was Sir Jeffery Gilbert, whom the learned in the law described as ” the accomplished exchequer baron.”
He received private tuition till he was about twelve years of age, after which he spent some years at the Crockley Green Grammar School, which was then under the mastership of Mr Thomas Dalby. Mr Gilbert is one of the leading makers of modern times, and his workmanship, varnish, and tone give him a place amongst the very select few of the innermost circle of present-day makers. Although he has always been of an artistic and musical turn of mind, he was more than twenty years of age before he had any kindly feelings for the violin in particular.
Having once caught the infection he was soon in the firm grip of the fiddle ” disease.” His father in his own early days was an enthusiastic amateur player and maker, and from him, he seems to have inherited the practical side of his character. He commenced his early studies quite unaided, as his father did all he could to discourage the budding “Stradivari,” intending him for another career; and, living as he was in a small isolated town, there were no opportunities of gaining any knowledge whatever upon the subject.
The purely mechanical part of the work never presented any great difficulty to his hand and eye, but he was not long in recognising the fact that it required something more than an expert use of carving tools to create a masterpiece in tone, and especially was the difficulty of an approximate reproduction of the fine old varnishes realised by him.
About this time he made the acquaintance of several connoisseurs in London, notably that of the late Charles Reade, the late George Hart, Mr Horace Petherick, Dr John Day, and George Withers, all of whom took a kindly interest in his work, and from time to time gave him useful hints. Mr Reade was especially interested in his varnish studies, and on the eve of his last departure for the Continent, a short time before his death had a long chat with him on the ” mysteries ” of old Cremona.
It was at this final parting that Reade spoke to him the cheery words, ” Go on, Mr Gilbert, do not get discouraged, I am sure you will succeed in the end.” This was in allusion to the varnish problem. In 1876, Mr Gilbert was married to Miss Lily White, in St. John’s Church, Peterborough. He has six children, named Jeffery Francis White, Charles Clement, Catharine Eleanor, Leslie Baker, Kate Julia, and Frederick William. Up to date, Mr Gilbert has made 166 instruments, comprising six ‘cellos, thirty violas and viola altas, and the remainder violins. His aim has always been quality, and not quantity, and he carefully studies each instrument during its construction.
His models have varied from time to time, and are original, without being vagaries on the one hand or slavish copies on the other.
Awarded a medal at the Inventions Exhibition, London, 1885 for one of his instruments, Emanuel Whitmarsh was a very talented luthier.
This is one of his finest works, we can tell by the price he charged for the instrument. £10 in this case, which was the most expensive of his violins. (Ranged from 4-10) British pounds.
Mint condition with original papers and receipt.
Fantastic tone, very responsive and easy to play
LOB: 358 mm
This violin is the highest grade made by Rushworth & Dreaper.
A strad model made by Richmond Henry Bird.
Great condition
LOB: 355 mm
Below original article from R&D catalogue:
“The “ARDETON” Violins are made throughout in our own workshops in Liverpool, and are the result of many years of experiments in acoustics, tone production and a close analysis of the best works of Amati, Stradivarius and Guarnerius. The plates are accurately adjusted to the favourite thicknesses used by Stradivarius, and are harmonically tuned. The resultant tone is free and sonorous, of exceptional purity, even on all strings, and possesses that reed-like guality peculiar to the finest old Italian masters.
Harmonics of beautiful quality are obtained with ease, and the workmanship is of the best and accurate in every detail.
The varnish used is the celebrated ” Apollo ” Oil Varnish made from RUSHWORTH & DREAPER’S own prescription, which has a world-wide reputation, and is used by many of the leading violin makers. The prejudice of many instrumentalists against new instruments is due to the fact that many makers produce violins which have a good tone while they are new, but after a few years playing the tone depreciates.
This is due to the fact that they are made too thin, and while they are brilliant in tone for a short time they will not stand the strain of continual playing.
This is particularly noticeable in many of the modern French instruments. The secret of the success of the “Ardeton” Violins is that although the tonal quality leaves nothing to be desired while they are new, owing to the correct thickness of the back and front, the makers are able to guarantee that the tone will improve with use. In addition to the Stradivarius model, copies of Amati or Guarnerius can also be supplied.”
Joseph Chevrier was a director at Jérôme Thibouville Lamy and also a very fine maker.
Labelled Joseph Chevrier Luthier | Mirecourt | Exposition Universelle Paris 1889 | Médaille D’or and signed internally by Joseph Chevrier. Branded JTL to the top block.
A very well engineered violin with a magnificent tone.
A fun fact, the cleats are countersunk along the centre seam.
LOB: 359 mm
A very nice example of a violin made in Mirecourt, France in 1927 by H. Emile Blondelet. The violin is branded and labeled.
Described in Henley’s Dictionary as “Excellent workmanship”.
Emile Blondelet was a director for the JTL firm.
LOB: 359mm.
Excellent condition totally crack free
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