Mario Frosali

sku Product SKU:  23035

Trained originally as a violinist, Frosali established as a violinmaker in Florence in 1932 having studied with Giuseppe Scarampella. Emigrating to America, he worked first in New York where he worked for Emil Herrmann. While there he worked alongside Simone Sacconi. He moved to Los Angeles in 1939 working at Wurlitzer in their violin department, establishing his own shop in 1954. In 1949 he was the only American maker to win an award at a major competition in the Hague.  He was enormously successful and his instruments were (and still are) in great demand both in the Los Angeles area as well as here in the Bay Area.

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Carlos Funes Vitanza

sku Product SKU:  23934

Carlos was born In Honduras and moved as a child to Albany California in 1976. He studied at the violin making school in Cremona graduating in 1983 and stayed on for another three years working with some of the best Cremonese masters. He returned to the Bay Area and began working with Rolland Feller in San Francisco. He has continued making fine instruments in his own workshop and has gained the respect of Bay Area musicians.

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Maurizio Tadioli

sku Product SKU:  23351

Born in 1967, Maurizio worked with his grandfather Carlo Pizzamaglio then graduated from The Cremona School of Violin Making in 1985. He has gone on to win many awards and medals at international competitions. This is an interesting example of his early work and has a certificate from Chris Reuning.

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Joseph Klotz

sku Product SKU:  24127

The Klotz family of violin makers spanned five generations, starting in 1653 and continuing till well after the Second World War with 26 members. Joseph, son of Sebastian, was born in 1743 His work is fairly rare but of high quality, among the best makers of this highly important violin making family.

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Fine old French

sku Product SKU:  23000

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Tschu Ho Lee

sku Product SKU:  20724

Master violin maker Tschu Ho Lee has been the director of the Chicago School of Violin Making since 1980 and has taught a generation of violin makers, many of whom have become famous in their own right. Originally from Korea, Mr. Lee graduated from the Mittenwald violin making school and got his master’s certificate before coming to Chicago

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Luigi Mozzani

sku Product SKU:  13174

Mozzani was a guitar prodigy as a youth who began constructing plucked instruments. He opened up a successful workshop making plucked and bowed stringed instruments. The workshop employed several talented luthiers, and received instruction on violin making from the renowned Carletti family. This violin was made after moving to Bologna, where the business thrived. It has a strong, sweet tone.

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Paul Meinel *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  15054

The Meinel family of violin makers was one of the largest in Germany with over 30 master luthiers. Like all of his family, he trained in Markneukirchen but spent most of his career in Basel, Switzerland. He worked with N.E. Simoutre taking over the business in 1889 when he was only 24 years old.

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G.A.Pfretzschner labeled Carlo Micelli "Master Art" *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  23654

At the beginning of the 20^th. century, some especially fine violins were made in Germany, especially in Markneukirchen. Many of these were often referred to as “Art Violins” because of their beauty and quality. The violins labeled “Carlo Micelli” were sought after, especially in this country. The label of this violin is hand inscribed “Master Art” indicating that it is of exceptional quality. Tonally, this violin is truly exceptional, offering a lot of violin for the money.

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G.A.Pfretzschner labeled Paolo Fiorini

sku Product SKU:  23622

Violins labeled “Paolo Fiorini” were of high quality generally from the 1920’s, made in Markneukirchen. These “Art Violins” were among the best being made in Germany at that time. In fact, ads from the U.S. distributers sometimes claimed them to have been made in Italy.

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G.A. Pfretzschner *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  19166

The G.A.Pfretzschner workshop in Markneukirchen is best known for their fine bows, but also produced exceptional string instruments as well. This beautiful violin has a truly fine tone.

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Charles J.B. Collin-Mezin

sku Product SKU:  9812

The Collin-Mezin workshop made fine violins from the end of the 19th century until the 1950s. The "Le Victorieux" were Charles II own model.

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Labeled Georges Cherpitel

sku Product SKU:  18468

Although he wasn’t a prolific maker it is clear from this violin that Georges Cherpital was a highly skilled maker. He worked with his father Nicolas Émile and then worked with Cuesnon.

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Herrmann Geipel

sku Product SKU:  22108

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Robert A. Dölling *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  22771

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Otto Möckel

sku Product SKU:  22380

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Silvio Barbieri

sku Product SKU:  13173

Mantua, 1998.

The Barbieri family includes eight violin makers. Born in 1947, Silvio Barbieri studied violin making with his father Bruno. His instruments are beautifully crafted using the finest materials.

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Conrad Heberlein

sku Product SKU:  24300

C. Heberlein was born in Markneukirchen in 1887. He studied with Ernst Schmidt and his uncle Heinrich Th. Heberlein. Still in his teens, he emigrated to Philadelphia and by 1909 he had his own shop in Chicago.  Shortly after this beautiful violin was made he moved to St Louis where he finished his career in the late 1940’s.

This strikingly beautiful violin has an unusual “flamed” spruce top.

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Old German *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  23446

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James Reynold Carlisle

sku Product SKU:  23422

Born in Kentucky in 1886, Carlisle made his first violin in 1910. He met Rudolf Wurlitzer in 1914 and made violins in Wurlitzer’s Cincinnati headquarters for most of his career. In the first part of the 20^th. Century, the Wurlitzer firm was the largest musical instrument dealer in the U.S. with locations in most major cities each with its own violin department.

Carlisle’s violins were featured in the Wurlitzer catalogs and he became one of the most important American violin makers of his time. The concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony who owned a 1700 Stradivarius, frequently used his Carlisle violin for many of his performances.

This is an especially nice example of his work.

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Branded Chevrier

sku Product SKU:  20860

This 19th century French violin is built on a large model and has a robust tone.

 

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J.W.Owen *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  9859

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Paolo Virgoletti

sku Product SKU:  19577

Paolo began his training with his uncle Arturo Virgoletti in 1999. Moving to Cremona, he worked with Elio Severgnini. While there, he had the opportunity to restore fine old instruments and study closely the work of the masters. He worked with master makers in Tokyo and Madrid before opening his own workshop in S.Polo d’Enza near Parma. This beautifully made violin has the full, rich tone that we expect from his instruments.

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Albert Knüpfer *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  18838

Knüpfer worked first with A.Wunderlich in Markneukirchen, later with E. Reinhold Schmidt and H.Glass. He established his own workshop in nearby Wernitzgrün in 1904 and continued until after 1950.  He is recognized for his fine work after the classical Italian models.

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