The Stringed Instrument Company 140 views   15 clicks ♡

Dean Chandler spent time in the early 1990s in his grandfather’s, Ian Sweetman’s workshop, learning the family craft of violin making. This striking viola, the second of his output, is modelled after Guarneri del Gesu. Despite its relatively small body size, at 15 ½ inches, it has an impressiv...

With its deep ribs and full arching, this small viola, inspired by a 1715 violin on Antonio Stradavari, has a surprisingly full resonant tone, with a bell-like clarity on the upper strings. The neck is slightly long in relation to the body stop length allowing easy access to the upper registers for...

Jay Haide instruments continue to impress us, particularly for the tonal qualities and playability offered by their “L’ancienne" range. This example, modelled after the work of Paolo Maggini, one of the earliest viola makers, captures both the style and the tone colours of this famous Brescian L...

Louis Guersan was one of the more prominent and successful French Luthiers of the mid-late eighteenth century with a close association with the French royal family that might not have stood him in good stead if he had lived long enough to witness the French Revolution of 1789 onwards. This small-sal...

Adrian Studer has been one of our most prolific and influential New Zealand makers, arriving here after training at the Swiss School of Violin Making ins Brienz. His work is meticulous, with great performance qualities informed not only by his qualities informed not only by his training but by a kee...

Jay Haide instruments continue to impress us, particularly for the tonal qualities and playability offered by their “L’ancienne" range. This example, modelled after the work of Paolo Maggini, one of the earliest viola makers, captures both the style and the tone colours of this famous Brescian L...

This handsome Tommaso Balestrieri copy viola labeled as being made in Germany in 1986, has a handwritten over-signature which may indicate it was marketed by Tan Violins in Edmonton, Canda, while the wood choice and workmanship tend towards an Asian origin. The viola with a back length of 16 1/4" (4...

Not much is known about this lovely-looking 16 ¼ “ ( 415mm) viola except the location of his workshop in the market town of Wetherby in North Yorkshire equidistant from Leeds, York and Harrogate. This instrument is his first viola, but it’s clear he was a proficient violin maker before this poi...

This lovely viola was made by one of New Zealand’s most skilled and highly-regarded violin makers, Ian Sweetman using a relatively full-arched Guarneri del Gesu model. A n attractively flamed , one-piece back is enhanced by Ian’s signature varnish handmade from fossil kauri copal. The tone is cl...

Made at the height of his instrument-making career, this fine viola by Ian Sweetman, modelled after Ian’s favourite maker Guarneri del Gesu, embodies all of his expertise to create an instrument with a lovely tonal range, from tis gutsy lower registers to a warm, clear A string, that doesn’t fai...

The Paganini 500 range is proving to be an excellent choice for students looking to purchase their first serious instrument. This well-finished viola comes in three sizes. The 15" or 15 1/2" models are great options for players with smaller hands who are daunted by the physical challenge of large-mo...

Specialist viola maker Anthony Elmsly completed this fine example of his work in 2016. With a body length of 41.3cm (41.6 over the arch) this is a classic and very manageable instrument, with the design based on some of the most successful alto-sized models in history, the much copied “Conte Vital...

This is the twentieth viola made by esteemed Upper Hutt violin maker Malcolm Collins, and therefore a relatively early example – he has now made well over 60 of these marvellous instruments. A viola player himself, Malcolm has always been eager to keep his violas within a manageable size while enh...

Chinese violin maker Huai Li Ming arrived in New Zealand in the early 1990’s, working first with Noel Sweetman and then, for two years, with the Stringed Instrument Company. This handsome viola, modelled after Stradivari, was made during the latter period, using handsomely flamed European maple fo...