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Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1909 violin by James W. Briggs
David Rattray looks at this early twentieth-century violin by the British maker
Premium ❘ FeatureLuigi Mozzani: Renaissance Man
As a luthier, musician, composer, teacher and successful businessman, Luigi Mozzani spread his talents far and wide. Lorenzo Frignani examines his eventful career, which produced all kinds of instruments
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Preparing a two-piece violin top
An accurate method for sawing and preparing tonewood before the main process of carving the plate
Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Gianmaria Stelzer’s Zurich workshop
Take a peek into this workshop located in the Swiss city’s cultural quarter
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Using local materials for violin making
Dutch luthier Geerten Verberkmoes details the process of making a violin using local materials from his home town of Bergen op Zoom, between October 2022 and May 2023
Premium ❘ FeatureFilippo de Filippi: From Vatican to varnish
The 19th-century violin maker Filippo de Filippi had an unusual route to his chosen career, taking in the Papal court, the Risorgimento and Rome’s cultural milieu. Stefano Pio explores his intriguing life
Premium ❘ FeatureCopying a Montagnana cello: The Full Monty
For the past few years, the attendees of the annual Oberlin Violin Makers Workshop have set themselves increasingly challenging group projects. Robin Aitchison explains how 30 luthiers collaborated on their latest task: to copy a Montagnana cello with pinpoint accuracy
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Finding the best-fitting viola
While the violin form is pretty much standardised, violas exist in all kinds of sizes and patterns. Chris Sandvoss offers some pointers to find the instrument most suited to the player
Premium ❘ FeatureGerman bow makers in America: Across the Atlantic
Many, if not most, of the earliest bow makers working in America originally hailed from Germany. Raphael Gold discovers how they helped lay the foundations for the industry
Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Michael Darnton’s Chicago workshop
Take a peek into the luthier’s compact workshop
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Establishing a consistent double bass neck heel
A personal method that can be utilised during the design of the neck and scroll
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1889 violin by Charles Francis Albert
Bruce Braun Babbitt examines the late-19th-century violin by the American maker
Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Roberto Regazzi’s Bologna workshop
Included in Regazzi’s workshop is a full set of The Strad magazine from 1890!
Premium ❘ FeatureNorwegian Wood: The history of the Hardanger fiddle
Regarded as Norway’s national instrument, the Hardanger fiddle is the product of a long evolution beginning in medieval times. Wiebke Lüders presents a history of the instrument’s development, profiling some of the most notable artisans
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Making transitional bows
In 2021 bow maker Markus Laine was commissioned to make 15 transitional bows to be used by a single chamber orchestra. What were the challenges – and what change did it make to the sound?
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A c.1800 violin by Joseph Panormo
Andrew Fairfax on the UK-based Italian maker’s turn-of-the-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making a mould and templates from a poster
A quick, efficient and accurate way of cutting durable templates using one of The Strad’s publications
Premium ❘ FeatureThe Strad Calendar 2024: The Fulton collection
The Strad Calendar 2024 pays tribute to one of the 20th century’s finest stringed instrument collections, put together in just a couple of decades by American violin collector David L. Fulton. Christian Lloyd examines the treasures
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis October 2023: Climate change and tonewood
The past summer has seen catastrophic heatwaves strike almost all of Europe. What effect have they had on the forests of spruce and maple that tonewood dealers depend on?
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: an 1870 Ludovico Rastelli violin
Alberto Giordano takes a look at a violin by the Italian maker
Premium ❘ Feature‘The firm was founded 120 years ago’ - My Space: Florian Bartsch
Take a tour of this Essen-based workshop
Premium ❘ Feature‘Be the person to teach them how to learn’ - Training an apprentice
Sarah Kluge explains her method of training an apprentice from scratch, including an essential list of dos and don’ts
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: a 1935 Gaetano Pollastri violin
Alberto Giordano explores this an instrument by the brother of violin maker Augusto Pollastri
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Building a five-string cello
David Folland gives some practical tips, based on his recent experience of building a five-string cello
Premium ❘ FeatureZosimo Bergonzi: Family fortunes
Zosimo Bergonzi, son of Carlo, was for a time the only luthier active in Cremona . Michel Samson tracks his career through his known works
Premium ❘ Feature21 reasons why your instrument might be buzzing
Finding why an instrument buzzes while playing is a task that bedevils luthiers. Dmitry Tarakanov presents a checklist for the most likely causes
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making an ebony crown
An intricate method for a sometimes vital part of the repair process
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1925 violin by Ferdinando Garimberti
Rainer Michael Cocron looks at a violin by one of the modern Milanese school’s most prominent makers
Premium ❘ ArticleAnalysis September 2023: Technology and access to fine instruments
Having survived the pandemic, the city of Cremona is embracing new technology in its efforts to bring its violin making heritage to the world
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: an 1812 viola by Giuseppe Marconcini
Jonathan Marolle takes a look at a viola from one of the ‘Ferrera school’ makers
Premium ❘ Feature‘Players have knocked on my door in a panic’ - My Space: David Segal
The luthier gives an overview of his busy Manhattan workshop
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Adding primer before varnish
Before varnishing their instruments, most luthiers add a layer of primer. Vlado Tilev looks at the types available, and their effect on sound quality
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: a 1759 viola by Petter Hellstedt
Stefan Lindholm examines an instrument by the Swedish maker
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: A platform for gluing a broken button
A method that takes the guesswork and uncertainty out of this challenging repair job
Premium ❘ FeatureDown to the ground: Stradivari’s preparation layers
Giacomo Fiocco presents the results of a study using innovative spectroscopic techniques to examine two of the master’s finest instruments
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1947 violin by Frantisek Zivec
Matthieu Besseling on the Bohemian maker’s mid-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: c.1845-50 violin by Georges Chanot
Roland Baumgartner examines an instrument by one of the most important 19th-century French makers
Premium ❘ FeatureFrom the archive: a 1618 Henry Jaye viol
The work of British violin maker Henry Jaye is testament to the unsung tradition of viol making in 17th-century London. John Dilworth examines a strikingly varnished Jaye instrument from 1618
Premium ❘ FeatureMarino Capicchioni: A one-of-a-kind luthier
Self-taught and living far away from any centres of lutherie, Marino Capicchioni became famous in his time for the superb quality of his instruments.