Violin by Rob Furze, Edinburgh, 2021
This violin has now sold.
About Robert Furze
Rob is a brilliant Edinburgh-based luthier who trained at the Newark School of Violin Making. He then worked for Michael Byrd and John Dilworth, as well as in the workshop of J.P. Guivier, before setting up his own workshop in Edinburgh in 2017.
Rob is kept very busy with the restoration of fine antique violins but we are always delighted when he has time to make a new instrument! As an excellent violist himself, Rob has a great ear for sound and his instruments are extremely popular.
About the violin
The violin was made in Edinburgh in 2021 and is modelled after the instruments of Stradivari.
The violin has a two piece back of attractive, fairly narrow-flamed maple. The ribs and scroll are of a similar wood. The two piece front is of straight-grained spruce which widens towards the flanks. The violin is unantiqued and the varnish is a rich orange-brown colour, laid over a lighter ground.
The violin has a length of back of 359 mm.
How does it sound?
This is a very unusual violin in that it is has two distinct characters: when you first start playing with an ordinary bow stroke it feels soft supple and delicate. Start to push it, however, and an almost shocking amount of power is revealed!
On the dark to bright spectrum, the violin sits on the darker side of things. In many ways, this would be the perfect instrument for orchestral auditions as it allows the player to demonstrate excellent control and discretion but also allows for displays of power when necessary. This is a really compelling instrument and a great pleasure to play.
Condition
The violin is in original mint condition.