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Awards & Certifications

◈

Violin Society

of America

◇

Cremona

Juried Exhibition

◆

VSA Gold

Medal 2019

◉

Guild Certified

Master Maker

127

instruments placed with
professional soloists since 2006.

Every instrument begins
with a conversation.

Commission-built violins, violas, and cellos for professionals, advancing students, and discerning collectors. Build time: 8–12 months.

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Master luthier hands carefully graduating a spruce violin top plate with fine tools in a workshop

The Workshop

Portland, Oregon · Est. 2006

01 / 04

0.3mm

Average plate graduation tolerance

Each top and back plate is graduated by hand with finger-planes and scrapers, checked with calipers every few passes. The difference between 0.3mm and 0.4mm is audible — a rounder fundamental, a faster bow response. No two plates graduate identically; each follows its own wood.

Close-up of precision calipers measuring the thickness of a spruce violin top plate in workshop lighting
Luthier brush carefully applying amber oil varnish to a violin scroll in warm workshop light

02 / 04

14

Coats of hand-applied oil varnish per instrument

The recipe has not changed since 2009 — a colophony-oil base tinted with madder lake and iron oxide, applied in thin films and cured under UV between coats. Fourteen coats over six weeks. The varnish does not seal the wood; it illuminates it.

03 / 04

8–12

Months, commission to delivery

A commission is accepted only when there is genuine capacity to build it properly. The waiting list is not a marketing device — it is a structural constraint of working alone with full attention. Clients receive a progress photograph at graduation, at varnishing, and at final setup.

Violin maker hands carefully fitting a soundpost inside a violin body using precise tools
Professional violinist performing with a handcrafted instrument under concert stage lighting

04 / 04

92%

Of trial players choose their instrument within the first four bars

Instruments are offered on a two-week trial before final commitment. The number above is not a sales figure — it is an observation. When the fit is right, the player stops searching in the first phrase. The remaining 8% return for a second trial with a different setup.

The Instruments

Three voices.
One standard.

Handcrafted violin with amber oil varnish resting on workshop bench with wood shavings

Violin

4/4 full size · Spruce top · Maple back & sides · Oil varnish

$18,000 – $28,000

Available in standard setup or audition-adjusted for specific orchestral seating requirements.

Commission a Violin
Close-up of viola f-holes showing intricate hand-carved detail and amber varnish in workshop light

Viola

16" – 16.5" body · Spruce top · Flamed maple · Oil varnish

$22,000 – $34,000

Body length and upper bout width discussed at consultation — proportions matter as much as tonal intent.

Commission a Viola
Professional cellist performing on stage with handcrafted cello under warm concert lighting

Cello

4/4 full size · European spruce · Bosnian maple · Oil varnish

$42,000 – $65,000

Build time for cello commissions extends to 10–14 months. Limited to two per year.

Commission a Cello

In Their Words

The instrument speaks first.

"I played six instruments over two months before the consultation. Within the first phrase on the Luthier violin, I stopped looking. The response under the ear is immediate — nothing manufactured at this price point comes close."

Portrait of Catherine Holloway, Associate Concertmaster at Oregon Symphony Orchestra

Catherine Holloway

Associate Concertmaster
Oregon Symphony Orchestra

"My daughter took the viola to her first regional competition six weeks after delivery. She won. The judges commented specifically on the tone. I am not crediting the instrument entirely — but I am not discounting it."

Portrait of David Mercer, parent of competition violist in Pacific Northwest Youth Orchestra

David Mercer

Parent of Competition Violist
Pacific Northwest Youth Orchestra

"As someone who has handled instruments from Gagliano to Guadagnini, I can say that the plate work here is the most disciplined I have seen from a living maker. The archings read like a conversation with the Cremonese masters — informed, not imitative."

Portrait of Margaret Yuen, private instrument collector from San Francisco

Margaret Yuen

Private Collector
San Francisco, CA

Begin the Conversation

Request a
Consultation.

Consultations are unhurried — typically 45 minutes by phone or video. There is no obligation. The purpose is to understand what you need before any commitment is made.

Not Ready to Commission?

Download the Current
Build Schedule.

The build schedule shows current commissions in progress, estimated availability windows for new commissions, and a summary of the instruments currently on the waiting list. It is updated quarterly.

No marketing. One email per quarter. Unsubscribe at any time.

Current Workshop Status

3

Instruments in progress

2026

Next available commission slot

18mo

Current wait time estimate

2 / yr

Cello commissions accepted