FAQs

This page contains a list of frequently asked questions about violin making, and my personal take.

Where do you learn violin making?

I learn the craft at Cambridge Violin Makers. Whilst not a vocational programme, they have been teaching hobby violin making classes for over 60 years, with countless instruments having come out of that workshop. The teachers are professionally trained makers, experienced in making and repairing. Quite a few students over the years started their journeys there and went on to pursue a professional violin making career by studying at Newark School of Musical Instrument Crafts. The classes take place throughout the year with intensive Easter and week-long summer courses. Students are from all professions, all walks of life, from all over the world.

At some point, I have set up my own workshop at home and started making violins there too.

What are the prerequisites for starting violin making?

As said on the application form of the workshop, the only prerequisite is 'unlimited patience'. Back in secondary school I certainly took up some woodworking in Design & Technology but never learned anything meaningful. Prior woodworking experience is good to have but not strictly required.

Can I learn violin making solely from online sources?

No, in my opinion.

There are videos and online violin making courses promising good results. But this is a craft that must be learned in-person. Nothing can replace a live demonstration of how each step is done, and the teacher sitting right next to you watching how you do. Many aspects, such as the shape of the arching and the scroll, can only be judged meaningfully by combined see-and-touch, which are impossible to do over a camera. You and your teacher need to be sitting at the same bench working the same piece of wood to make it happen.

What are some of the useful resources for learning violin making as an amateur?

• Your local violin maker. They have seen so many instruments of varied qualities and origins, done so many repairs and made so many instruments. They have seen things

• Violin Making: A Practical Guide, by Juliet Barker

• The Art of Violin Making, by Johnson and Courtnall

• Online forums; there are fantastic makers, professional and amateurs, but always use your own judgement

What is the hardest part in violin making?

In my limited experience in the craft, the hardest part is to exercise one's judgement. Is the arching shape 'correct'? Is the plate thin enough? Have I added enough colour to the varnish? Violin making is a craft, and in some sense an art, but not precision science. On your first instrument, the teacher can decide things for you and even clean up many mistakes, but as you progress, you have to make your own decision and set your standard.

 It is also important to accept that in making a violin, there are always mistakes made. This holds true for woodworking in general. Pursuing a perfect violin is a futile attempt. The perfect violin does not exist; a good violin is a finished violin. An experienced maker is good at avoiding and hiding their mistakes, and inhibiting the natural tendency to advertise them. A violin consists of many components, especially visual ones such as the corners. Every part needs to be well made so that, when you put everything together, the final product is at least decent. That is to say, imperfection accumulates.

How long does it take to make a violin?

It took me 299 hours (including tea breaks) to finish my first violin on the white--- before varnishing. In my subsequent ones, it takes me less, averaging around 170-200 hours. That, for an amateur with a day job, amounts to around 1.5-2 months, assuming you have nothing else to do (like me 🥲).

Varnishing typically takes around a month: with oil varnish I apply about 10 coats and it takes about 3 days to dry, with a UV cabinet. Varnishing absolutely cannot be rushed. It takes another 2 weeks (absolute minimum) to a month for the varnish to cure and harden properly. You can of course varnish multiple violins at once, on alternate days.

After varnishing, polishing and the final setup takes about 15 hours, i.e. around 1-2 days.

How much do the violin making tools cost?

The tools I have are listed and illustrated in the Tools page. A good ballpark is £1,500-£2,000 in 2025 money. 

How much does a violin really cost?

Here's a question back to you: what are you really trying to ask?

The material cost is not that much; a good set of wood--- front, back, ribs, neck and fingerboard--- can cost only £250. Most of the cost comes from paying the bills (if the maker does it for a living), and most importantly, labour cost. Above I gave a ballpark on how many hours it takes to make a violin. Multiple that by your own hourly rate and go figure.

Do you sell your violins?

No.

What models do you prefer to make?

It's very much a personal preference.

I find Guarneri del Gesu's style more relatable. First, his violins have a warm and powerful timbre. Del Gesu put most of his focus on the functional aspects of the instruments: notably the arching. The visual aspects are less of a concern; in fact his visual style can be regarded as brutal. You can see that from the scroll, how the purfling is forced together at the corners, and the looks of the F-holes. But these apparent visual imperfections precisely accentuate the very human nature of the craft. One can't help but wonder his life journey, the ups and downs he experienced throughout his life, with violin making being a backdrop (for a few years of his life).

I am also interested in making a Stainer in the future, for his unique style and the nuanced, sweet sound.

I am less inclined to make a Stradivari; they look too perfect and 'standard'--- most mass-produced violins these days follow the Stradivari pattern. One is also inevitably judged by how authentic their instrument looks to the original. In the case of a Stradivari, it either looks like one or it doesn't. For a del Gesu, it is more lenient and there's more freedom.

At the end of the day, I have no intention to be a master wannabe (not that I can). I want to make my violins, not copy someone else's to the letter.

What do you think is the most important element of a violin?

The sound and playability.

A violin is a working instrument of music. A violin hung on the wall as display is not; it is 'violin-shaped furniture'. If it looks perfect but it sounds crap, it is crap.

The importance of playability is self-evident.

Do you play the violin?

Yes. Not a complete beginner but can't say (yet) I am good at it.

Do I need to be a violin player to make violins?

Not necessarily but it is very helpful.

It always provides situational awareness. For example, when carving the violin neck, knowing how you would shift positions along the neck informs you the shape of the neck, beyond what the templates suggest.

Do you make violas and cellos (and double basses)?

No. Because I don't want to.

Also the cello and double bass are too big for my home workshop.

Why do you make violins?

Ask me over coffee/tea 😉.