| Testimonials |
| Directions |
| Home |
Violin Maker - John Hill My Approach As you may well know,violin making pulls from a deep well. It takes years of careful study under master level craftsmen, then perhaps many more to refine the quality of craftsmanship to attain the playablity and artistic merit deserving of todays discerning professional musicians. I have been fortunate enough to apprentice under Master Violin Maker John Harrison of Redding, Ca. Over the years I have honed my craft under his direction and by experimenting on my own to discover for myself what works and what does not. I now create violins based upon the Italian Method with the highest degree of both form and function in mind. Each violin that leaves my bench must have high artistic merit and the tone, response and playability of a fine, hand crafted instrument. I refer to my training, research and past results gained from previous instruments to acheive these goals. After about ten years of making, the personality and creative licence of the maker hopefully becomes more apparent if he/she has effectively mastered the basics. If you look and listen closely, I believe you will see and hear this in my work. My oil varnish has been refined to its current state after years of trials with variations on recipes to create a warm sounding, luminous and transparent top color coat over a more durable ground varnish. Under the ground varnish is a carefully shaped and graduated European Spruce for top and Balkan Maple for back. Each wood chosen for its exceptional sound carrying properties. The species of the tree and the area and conditions in which the wood has grown and proper seasoning has as much to do with sound carrying properties of the completed instrument box as the careful graduations and overall shapes chosen for the violin. Set up parameters, which include carving a specific shape to the right bridge wood, choosing the correct strings particular to the makeup of the soundbox, proper sound post material as well as it's fit and adjustment, and proper mensur are crucial to maximizing the potential of the instrument. It takes several weeks to "voice" a new violin as it is played in and it often has to be refitted with a new sound post within this time. If you are looking for an instrument, feel free to call or email me with any questions. References are available upon request. - Violins & Violas Crafted by Hand - Setup and Tonal Adjustments - Restoration / Repair - Bow Rehairing - Member - V.S.A.
By Appointment @ 409 W. 5th Street, Phoenix, OR 97535 / 541-621-7091
|
