VIOLINS

When I first started making violins I was working full time as a restorer. I was learning, a little bit, to identify violins by country, region and family. It was impossible not to notice the small differences in style, size and character even if I couldn’t quite place it’s origin. So when I started becoming a violin maker I had the grand notion that I would come up with my own pattern. It was a good exercise for a beginner, because when I finally wised up and started using the patterns and dimensions from the master violin maker’s best years I had something concrete to compare it to.

After a brief fascination with the Betts Stradivarius, I settled into building violins based on the middle to late period work of Guarneri del Gesu. In 2019 I added Stradivari’s “P” form to the violins in my line up. It really is a different animal compared to the Guarneri and I am enjoying the challenge of getting to know it. Even within a given period of the same violin maker there is variety and experimentation. It is a beautiful tiny world with endless possibilities.

Over the last few years I have developed a varnishing approach that allows me to shade and antique the new violins I build. My visual inspiration at this time is drawn from the 19th century Italian violin maker Pressenda. Each instrument has plenty of varnish that is subtly shaded, with some nicks, chips and wear. If you pay attention to the auction results you may notice that the most highly valued violins are the ones in the most pristine condition. With this in mind, I don’t push the “antiquing” process as far as some makers do, choosing instead to give it a start and let the players do the rest.

THE BEST DEAL OUT THERE. I MEAN IT!

Ralph Rabin