My Instruments

These are the instruments I currently make in my workshop. Interested in these, or a type of viol or fiddle you don’t see here? Contact me.

Medieval fiddle / Viella medievale

This fiddle, based on a sculpture on the west portal of the Strasbourg cathedral, has been designed to be similar in size and identical in string length and tuning to the modern violin. It can be played easily tucked under the chin like the modern violin, or held either ‘da braccio’ or ‘da gamba’ as Medieval iconography also indicates.

Overall length: 62cm
String length: 33.5cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with boxwood inlays
Walnut fingerboard and tailpiece
Price: €710 / $957 without tax

Decorated Medieval fiddle

This fiddle has decorative inlays, and both the soundboard and back have a lip, instead of the flush sides seen on the fiddle above.

Overall length: 62cm
String length: 33.5cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with decorative inlays
Walnut fingerboard and tailpiece
Price: €810 / $1066 without tax

Medieval fiddle with a carved back

This fiddle, like those above, has been designed to be similar in size and identical in string length and tuning to the modern violin. This one, however, has been designed with a carved back–creating greater volume within the instrument, and a more powerful sound.

Overall length: 62cm
String length: 33.5cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with boxwood inlays
Walnut fingerboard and tailpiece
Price: €950 / $1280 without tax

5-string Medieval Fiddle

A slightly larger and more flexible fiddle than those above. When tuned e-a-d-g-c you get the range and utility of both a violin and alto (viola) in one instrument.

Overall length: 63cm
String length: 37cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with binding; walnut fingerboard and tailpiece
Price: €780 / $1026 without tax

Viola da braccio

Based on a painting by a contemporary of da Vinci, this viola da braccio has the same string length and tuning of a modern viola with an added e string on top for greater range.

Overall length: 65cm
String length: 37cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with binding
walnut fingerboard and tailpiece
Price: €780 / $1026 without tax

Viola da braccio

Overall length: 62cm
String length: 33.5cm
4 strings
Carved back
Renaissance-style scroll
Maple ribs, neck, back, fingerboard and tailpiece; spruce soundboard
Price: €1100 / $1400

Suka Biłgorajska (Polish fiddle)

Played by placing one’s fingernails against the strings as stops rather than pressing the strings onto the fingerboard, this bowed instrument appears to be a Polish variation of the lyra. This version is based off a detailed watercolor painting made by a Polish ethnographer who discovered the original instrument in the 1800s.

Overall length: 54cm
String length: 29cm
Poplar back and ribs; spruce soundboard
Price: €900 / $1200

Soprano (treble) viol / Viola da gamba soprano after an anonymous Italian master of the 16th century

Overall length: 73cm
String length: 39cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard
Renaissance style scroll
Price: €1550 / $2090 without tax

Alto viol after an anonymous Italian master of the 16th century

Overall length: 80cm
String length: 44cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard
Renaissance style scroll
tuned in A/la
Price: €1523 / $2120 without tax

Bass viol / Viola da gamba bassa after Ventura Linarolo

Overall length: 118cm
String length: 67cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard
Renaissance style scroll
Price: €1700 / $2220 without tax

English division bass with modest decoration

Overall length: 120cm
String length: 68cm
Ribs, back and neck of poplar; spruce soundboard with purfling
Walnut fingerboard and tailpiece with purfling
Open scroll
Price: €2250 / $2850 without tax

Bass viol / Viola da gamba bassa after Henry Jaye (student model)

This instrument dispenses with the heavy, baroque decoration of Jaye’s original, while maintaining the comfortable size and playability of the English division viol.

Overall length: 120cm
String length: 68cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with purfling
Standard scroll
Price: €1800 / $2425 without tax

Bass viol / Viola da gamba bassa after Nicholas Bertrand (student model)

A large bass viol based on a surviving instrument of the French Baroque.

Overall length: 130cm
String length: 68cm
Ribs, back and neck of maple; spruce soundboard with purfling; walnut fingerboad and tailpiece
Standard scroll
Price: €1800 / $2425 without tax