The Story
When Brett and Eddy came to me, it was as much a challenge as a commission. Two violinists who have spent their lives around fine instruments asked whether we could build one together, and whether it could be done in a single month.
A violin is not usually built in a month. The wood alone is chosen years ahead and seasoned for a decade before it is ever touched. But once the wood is ready, the making is where forty years at the bench count for something.
I learned violinmaking from my father, Helge, and later studied the restoration of fine instruments in Germany, where I got to work on many rare antique violins. That is the tradition I brought to this one, combined with the acoustic research my family has done into how the string family really works. I wanted to see it through properly, not merely quickly.
We built it together. The work that needs a lifetime of experience was mine, the carving and graduation of the plates, the varnish, and the setup that finally decides how a violin speaks.
Brett and Eddy were alongside me the whole way — in the decisions, at the bench, and there to hear it come to life. Sharing that with two players who love the violin as much as I do meant a great deal to me.
