Violin makers in Bristol

Qualification

master violinmaker

Service

new building, repair, restoration

Particularities

Steffen Nowak studied violin making at the Welsh School of Violin Making and graduated with merit before he established his atelier in Bristol in 1986. Being a violinist himself he specializes on tonal optimiziation and offers his carefully made handcrafted violins, violas and violoncellos to connoisseurs, advanced and professional musicians from around the world.

Qualification

master violinmaker, restorer

Service

trade, new building, repair, restoration, leasing, accessories

Particularities

Bristol Violin Shop is run by its founders Neil Hansford and Nicholas Woodward, who are experienced and renowned expert luthiers and restorers.

Neil Hansford is a professional piano player and started violin making in 1973, specializing in making of historical gamba copies and varnishing.

Nicholas Woodward studied violin making at the Newark School of Violin Making and teached the art of lutherie at the Welsh School of Violin Making. He builds violins, violas and cellos as well as arpeggiones and viols and has made instruments for professional players of the Academy of Ancient Music and other well-known ensembles.

Bristol Violin shop provides old and new quality instruments for all levels of expertise, accessories, luthier restoration services.

Qualification

master violinmaker, restorer

Service

trade, new building, repair, restoration

Particularities

Edward Gaut is an internationally renowned master violin maker who builds violins, violas and violoncellos for ambitious students and professional violinists and provides an interesting selection of antique instruments and bows. He is an experienced repairer and restorer, both of violin family instruments and bows, and of course he does standard maintenance services such as bow rehairing, peg bushings or soundpost positioning, up to complex tonal adjustments.

Gaut studied violin making at the Newark School of Violin Making and worked in Canada and London before he established his Bristol atelier in 2006.

Qualification

master violinmaker

Service

new building

Particularities

Arnaud Giral studied violin making at the Newark School of Violin Making and opened his own workshop immediately after graduating, in order to develop his own approach to the art of violin making in a creative, free environment. He specialized in copies of period violins, violas and cellos from the 17th to the early 19th century and aims to create instruments for today’s musicians with an historically informed approach.

Qualification

master violinmaker, restorer

Service

trade, restoration

Particularities

Cremona House Violin Shop was established in 1879 by George Darby and is run since 1982 by Richard Bristow, an experienced restorer, his colleague Ken Green. Their selection of fine antique and modern instruments of the violin family – violins, violas, cellos and double basses – and of bows made by renowned master workshops of the European bow making tradition provides interesting choices for advanced or professional players and connoisseurs. Accessoires are available at the workshop and by phone or e-mail order.

Opening hours

Monday open, Saturdays open