Maurizio Tadioli

sku Product SKU:  23224

Maurizio Tadioli started his training as a violin maker as a child with his grandfather Carlo Pizzamiglio. He graduated from the Cremona School of Violin Making with highest honors in 1985. Since then he has become one of the most important and respected makers in Italy. The long list of awards and honors he has won at international competitions is most impressive.

USD 0.0000

Léon Bernardel *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  23596

The Bernardel family is one of the most important and distinguished in the history of Parisian violin making. Auguste Sebastian Philippe Bernardel who was the founder of the dynasty, started with Lupot in 1815 and set up his own firm in 1826. His son Eugene Auguste joined his father and established the firm Gand & Bernardel Frères with Eugène Gand. In 1866. Leon Bernardel joined the family firm before setting up his own shop in 1899. He died in 1931. This violin was completed by his son Leon II who continued the family firm. This beautiful violin has an excellent rich and colorful tone.

USD 0.0000

Ada Quaranta

sku Product SKU:  15778

Ada Quaranta’s instrument are in great demand because of their great quality. She studied at the Cremona school beginning in 1990 after receiving her diploma in violin performance. After graduation, she worked in some of the most important shops in Germany and France. She has won numerous awards for her work. We are pleased to be able to offer this fine example of her work.

USD 0.0000

Howard Needham

sku Product SKU:  24217

After a career as a systems analyst, Howard Needham began making acoustic guitars in 1973, transitioning to the violin family in the eraly 1980's. He worked with Gary Baese in the 1990's who was doing extensive research in 18th century Italian violin varnish. In 2007 in a blind comparison of 100 instruments, on eof his violins beat every other instrument except for a J. B. Guadagini. His violins are excellent reproductions of a Guarneri del Gesu of the Medici Stradivarius of 1716. His fine instruments are being played by many acconplished musicians.

This wonderful violin is the kind of instrument a professional could use for their entire career. The tone is rich, clear and responsive. It's a real joy to play.

USD 0.0000

Antonino Cavalazzi*SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  479

Cavalazzi was a student of Domenico Veggi and established his workshop in the late 1920’s. A highly respected maker, he also did extensive research in varnish chemistry. This violin has a full, warm tone of great quality.

USD 0.0000

Raymond Melanson *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  22575

Ray Melanson has become one of the best known and important violin makers in this country. Having studied art and violin performance, he began his career in the 1970's working with Hans Nebel and Arnold Bone doing repairs and restorations of fine instruments and bows. He then went to the Salt Lake violin making school. Starting in 1983, he spent four years teaching at the North Bennett St violin making school. Since then he has won 14 medals at Violin Society of America competitions. His instruments are owned by a number of famous soloists and members of major symphony orchestras.

USD 0.0000

Labeled Vuillaume

sku Product SKU:  17218

Possibly by George Gemunder

USD 0.0000

Wilhelm Kapfhammer

sku Product SKU:  21804

After graduating from the Mittenwald violin making school, Kapfhammer came to the U.S., teaching at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City. There he trained some of the most important contemporary makers. The tone of this violin is brilliant, responsive with easy playability

USD 0.0000

Léon Bernardel *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  20380

The Bernardel family was one of the most important dynasties in Parisian violin making for well over a century, not just as makers but as some of the most important dealers in Paris. Léon Bernardel worked at first with Derazey before joining the family firm Gand et Bernardel Frères. He opened his own shop in 1899 and was very successful and respected following the style of Lupot. This violin is an especially fine example of his work.

USD 0.0000

Luigi Rovatti

sku Product SKU:  17733

This violin has a brilliant, responsive tone. The maker emigrated to Argentina from Italy, and may have studied with Joseph and/or Enrico Rocca.

USD 0.0000

Old English *SOLD*

sku Product SKU:  14354

USD 0.0000

Old French Labeled Paul Bailly

sku Product SKU:  14280

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

Fine old French

sku Product SKU:  23000

USD 0.0000

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

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

Paul Meinel

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000

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.

USD 0.0000