Violin by Derek High, South Wales, 1981
This violin has now sold.
About Derek High
Luthier Derek High was born in Dundee and went on to study at the Welsh School of Violin-Making and Repair in Abertridwr, South Wales. Following a period of having his own workshop in Edinburgh, High moved to Germany to work for the highly-respected World of Basses. Now running his own workshop in Reutlingen, High´s basses are extremely sought after amongst professional players. It turns out that the sale of this very violin provided the funds necessary to purchase the wood for his very first double bass!
About this violin
This violin is the second instrument ever made by High. It was completed in 1981, whilst he was still studying in Abertridwr, and is an extremely successful instrument. It is modelled after the instruments of Stradivari and is a very intelligent Strad copy: so many are a homogenised, almost caricatured version of the familiar model, however this violin is much more concise and authentic.
The violin has a two piece back of medium-flamed maple, the figuration descending to the centre joint. The two piece front is of fine-grained spruce and the varnish is a deep red colour laid over a golden ground. The workmanship is extremely fine.
The violin has a length of back of 355 mm.
How does it sound?
The violin has a warm, generous tone and a happy character. It is very reliable without ever being boring and is very much a pleasure to play. This violin has a sophistication to its sound that would make it an excellent match for a player needing to upgrade to an instrument which behaves like an antique Italian violin.
Condition
The violin is in excellent condition with no cracks.