Finely Strung

Below are some photographs of instruments made in recent years.(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

Small Torres guitar

I finished this small guitar at the end of 2015. It’s loosely based on an instrument made by Torres in 1888 but has a slightly longer scale length than the original at 613.5mm. The top is spruce and the back and ribs are rippled mahogany.

Tim’s guitar

Specially commissioned by New Zealand guitar player Tim Cundy, this 5 string cutaway is  designed to be played with  open G tuning (that is G D g b d going from  5th to 1st string).  It was made of English walnut with a Sitka spruce top and pear-wood bindings.

 

Sarah’s viola

Made in 2014, this is a copy of the famous Conte Vitale  by Andrea Guarneri.  The photograph shows Andrew Bellis trying it out, but it’s now played by Sarah Bongiovianni, violist and violinist in Nottingham.

 

Poppy’s guitar

OO size, X-braced, steel-string guitar with 12 frets to the body, made in English walnut and Sitka spruce at the end of 2014.

 

Violin after Carlo Bergonzi, 1736

 

Michèle’s cello

The last instrument that I made in 2010, photographed in less than optimal circumstances while building works were in progress. There’s a short recording of how it sounds at the end of this post.

 

Guitar in the style of Panormo

This guitar is a loose copy of an instrument made by Louis Panormo circa 1840, which is described in more detail here.

 

Guitar in Madagascan rosewood

A smaller guitar, based on an instrument by Herman Hauser, with a scale length of 630mm. The soundboard is spruce and the back and ribs are of Madagascan rosewood (Dalbergia baronii). The bindings and bridge are of Rio rosewood and the rosette and headstock veneer are of English yew.

Baroque violin

A copy of an instrument by Andrea Amati in 1564 for Charles IX of France, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Made for Pamela Rosenberg, who is a member of the Tartini ensemble.

 

Violin – after Guarneri del Gesu

 

Zebrano guitar

 

Walnut guitar

 

Patrick’s cello

This cello, set up in the baroque manner with a short fingerboard, low bridge and gut strings, was completed at the beginning of 2009.

 

 

 

Stephen’s guitar

This classical guitar, loosely based on an instrument by Hernández y Aguado, was finished in July 2008. It has a spruce top inlaid with a rosette of laburnum. The back and ribs are cocobolo and the instrument is bound with ebony.

 

Jamie’s guitar

This guitar is also based on an instrument by Hernández y Aguado, and was finished in June 2008. It has a cedar top inlaid with a rosette of spalted crab apple. The back, ribs and bridge are Maccassar ebony and the instrument is bound with black Indian ebony. You can hear it being played by Fiona Harrison and Dave Crispin on the Music page.

 

Sophie’s cello

A few pictures of Sophie’s cello, made in 2007 when she was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

 

Tom’s guitar

I made this guitar in 2007. The soundboard is European spruce and the back and sides are English walnut. The headstock veneer, bridge and rosette are laburnum and the guitar is bound with rosewood.

 

Violin, after Nicola Amati

Here are two views of a violin, made in 2006, based on an instrument by Nicola Amati – the Alard, 1649 – which can be seen the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. It is now being played by Liz Gregg of the Tartini Trio.

 

Clavichord

This double-fretted clavichord was completed in 2007. The casework and stand are made in English cherry with an oiled finish. It has just over 4 octaves (from C to e”’) and is a copy of an instrument by an anonymous maker built around 1740 and preserved in the Gemeentemuseum in the Hague. The plans (and much good advice on clavichord making) came from Peter Barnes, a maker and restorer of early keyboard instruments who lives in Somerset, UK. He also wound the strings.

 

Steel string guitar

Made in 2006, this guitar has a soundboard of spruce. The back and sides are maple.