William Walsman of Harwich, MA, founder of Custom Crafted Violins, uses only the finest traditional materials available worldwide. Each is hand carved, hand crafted to ultimately result in a truly unique instrument. Each step is carefully checked and documented along the way. A detailed photo book with these steps and descriptions is included with every instrument purchased. Because no two pieces of wood are exactly alike, while graduating the back and belly to get desired thicknesses, many different checks including "tap tones", weight ratios front to back and structural stiffness are employed. These particular steps are essential in creating tonal beauty. Walsman's personal taste for historical design is reflected in the "finish" of a violin. He uses only fine steel scrapers to obtain a desired texture to the instrument body. And a particular varnish/glazing/rubbing method allows him to control depth of color, shading and degree of gloss desired. The result of all of this is violins of exquisite beauty, both in outward elegance and ringing tonal sonority. Each is the product of a single "hand," and crafted in such a manner as to ensure each individual violin's uniqueness, thus ensuring their value for years. Visit Bill's blog: http://ccviolins.blogspot.com/2011/08/violins.html
For violin-lovers, click to hear Itzhak Perlman and Isaac Stern in a New York performance of Bach's Double Violin Concerto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vesrqFeq9rU
Comments