Bio

After graduating from the Newark School of Violin Making in 2004, I established my own workshop and began an independent research into the original setup of historical bowed string instruments. My research took me to the original instruments themselves — studied directly in collections including the Musée de la Musique in Paris, the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, and the Royal College of Music in London.
I make copies of violins, violas, cellos and viols — from the early 17th to the early 19th century — with particular attention to gut stringing and period-accurate setup. My instruments are played by professional musicians and early music ensembles across Europe, including L’ Achéron, the award-winning French viol ensemble, for whom I built a complete set of historically informed Consort of viols.
I am subject leader in Musical Instrument Making at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, and am based in West Dean, West Sussex, UK, where I welcome commissions for historical bowed string instruments and bows.

  • Luthier, violin maker, viol maker,
  • Violin bow frog, snakewood, wood shavings, violin bow clip-in frog, short bow, early bow, early music
  • Michel Colichon, Collichon, Bass viol, French viol, Through-neck, one-piece neck, gouges, inside of a bass viol, top block, parchment, linen, walnut, cherry, pear wood.
  • Purfling, Henry Jaye, London, Southwark, Bass viol back, English viol, consort, viol consort, Nails, Forged nails, Consort bass, Bass viol, soundpost plate, original label Carving pegbox, 6 string, all gut stringing, gut strings, pegbox
  • Violin bow frog, snakewood, wood shavings, violin bow clip-in frog, short bow, early bow, early music
  • Rosette, bass bar, parchment, bass viol, spruce, carved front, bent front
  • Michel Colichon, Collichon, Bass viol, French viol, Through-neck, one-piece neck, gouges, inside of a bass viol, top block, parchment, linen, walnut, cherry, pear wood.
  • Baroque violin, Barock violine, Violine Barroca, Violon baroque, nailed neck, purpled fingerboard, Amati, Andrea Amati, Brother Amati, Nicolo Amati, Cremone, Cremona
  • Purfling, Henry Jaye, London, Southwark, Bass viol back, English viol, consort, viol consort, Nails, Forged nails, Consort bass, Bass viol, soundpost plate, original label
  • Baroque violin, Barock violine, Violine Barroca, Violon baroque, neck attachment, nailed neck
  • Label, Guarneri del gesu, del gesù, Cremone, Cremona, Guarneri, Guarnerius, Baroque violin, Barock violine
  • Bent front, bass viol, tenor viol, treble viol, wedges, Colichon, Collichon, Jaye, Meares
  • Purfling, Henry Jaye, London, Southwark, Bass viol back, English viol, consort, viol consort
  • Purfling, Henry Jaye, London, Southwark, Bass viol back, English viol, consort, viol consort, Nails, Forged nails, Consort bass, Bass viol, soundpost plate, original label