Five contemporary violins


In today's blog, we present five relatively recent violins by four great British luthiers. 

Each of the violins comes from our £12,000 to £20,000 price bracket and is currently available for sale.

Here's the video:


It was really interesting to play all five and compare them: of course, the results would be very different with a different player, bow, or excerpt! 

Here are a few more details about each of the violins in the video:

Violin by Neil Értz, 1992

This violin was made in France and is modelled after Stradivari. It has a full, warm sound and feels really reliable in an orchestral setting.

Violin by Melvin Goldsmith, 1993

This violin was made in Purleigh and is a copy of the famous 1716 Stradivari, the Messiah. The original violin can be seen in Oxford's Ashmolean Museum. This is a really soloistic instrument.

Violin by Martin Bouette, 1996

This is a lovely Guarneri 'del Gesù' model violin which was made for J. and A. Beare of London. It has a gorgeously dark, smooth sound, a huge voice and a very musical character.

Violin by Neil Értz, 2015

This is an antiqued violin by Neil which is also modelled after Stradivari. The violin is very well-balanced and projects well. 

Violin by John Dilworth, 2018

Modelled after Guadagnini's Milan period instruments, this violin is very responsive and feels brilliant to play in punchy twentieth century repertoire. 


Do get in touch if you'd like to try any of these violins in our Edinburgh shop, or of course to compare all five for yourself!