One of the great masters of the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries, Claude Thomassin worked with his father Louis before joining Louis Bazin in Mirecourt. He moved to Paris at 20 years of age to work at Gand & Bernardel. While he was there, he developed his own style based on the work of Voirin. He set up his own Paris workshop in 1901. Claude Thomassin is generally considered the finest maker of his generation.
Roger François Lotte was the son and student of François and took over the workshop continuing on till 1989. The Lotte workshop supplied bows to some of the most important violin shops in Europe.
The Bernardel family of violin makers is one of the best known and most important in Paris. Auguste Sebastien Philippe was the founder of the Bernardel Dynasty of luthiers. Leon II worked primarily in Mirecourt making many of the fine instruments sold through his father’s (Leon I) Paris establishment. The tone is well balanced and is highly responsive and quite easy to play.
Peter Baltzerson was born in Norway in 1876 and made his first violin there in 1897. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1906 and worked in the shop of Ole Bryant, perhaps the best maker in the Boston area. Baltzerson established his own workshop there around 1920 and his work was soon in demand with Boston area professionals including members of the Boston Symphony. This violin is an excellent value for such high quality of sound and workmanship. Over the years it has been well played and maintained by fine professional musicians.
K.L. Clement started his training with Karl Höfner in Bubenreuth. From 1984-1995 he honed his skills in the Paesold workshop. With Hagen Weise he opened his workshop in Leipzig in 2000 and has become respected for the high quality of his instruments.
A member of a large family of violin and bow makers, Emil Max Penzel was born in 1887 and is said to have trained with H.R. Pfretzschner starting in 1903. He set up his own workshop in Erlbach in 1908. Because of the quality of his work, he drew a number of excellent makers for training. This is an unusually fine and beautiful example of his excellent work. This fine bow is beautifully balanced, comfortable to play and produces a wonderful singing tone.
Born in Dijon in 1960 to a musical family, Jacques Poullot studied piano and violin at the Dijon Conservatory. In 1976 he entered the famous school of violin and bow making in Mirecourt studying bow making with the great Bernard Ouchard. At that time Ouchard’s students were to become many of the greatest bow makers of their generation. After graduation he returned to Dijon and worked with Albert Claudot before setting up his own workshop in 1987. Since then he has won numerous awards for his fine bows. He has also built a reputation for his expertise in fine old bows. We are pleased to offer this bow as an excellent example of his superb work.
John Norwood Lee started his career with Bein & Fushi in Chicago and opened his own workshop in the same building at 410 South Michigan Ave. Since then his work has become popular with professional musicians around the country. This bow represents an exceptional value in a fine viola bow.
The Dörfler family of bow makers spans four generations and has become one of the most important in Germany. This beautiful bow was chosen for us at a trade show from over 100 Dörfler bows by a well known professional violinist and has superb playing qualities.
Born in 1897, John Bolander worked in San Jose starting in 1915. He studied bow making with Alfred Lanini starting in 1943 and joined his workshop in 1946. His bows have always been popular especially in the Bay Area. This is a nice example of his work and represents an excellent value.
Before 1919 with the forming of Czechoslovakia, the area from Prague and west to the German border was known as Bohemia. Along the German border in western Bohemia was for centuries a center of violin making and violin the makers, were mostly ethnic Germans. This cello was probably made in this area around the late 19th century. Since we don’t know who actually made this cello it represents an excellent value. The tone is full, warm and solid.