Past makers of very high guality but low output

[GMM22]

What names would come up if one were to survey the violin world for past makers who made very high quality and well regarded violins, yet produced very small number of total instruments made?

[MANFIO]

Hi, very good question!

Famous makers such as Carlo Bergonzi (about 40 instruments), perhaps Gasparo and others Brescian makers had a low output.

Del Gesú was considered "lazy" but the Hills demonstrated that his output was high if we consider that he worked without assistants and pupils (although Catarina could be considered an assistant).

Perhaps the makers with such a high output as Strad are a minority in the violin making world.

[Jeffrey Holmes]

Peter Guarneri of Mantua, Peter Guarneri of Venice, & Seraphin come to mind.

[MANFIO]

Yes Jeffrey, these too. This low output was commented by Roger Hargrave in an article on the Strad (a highly controversial article) in which he speculates about the reason of the low output of other Cremonese makers in Strad's time. His conclusion is that many instruments were not entirely made by Strad himself.

[jmaj]

There was just an extensive discussion on fiddleforum about hours per violin. 80 hours seems a fair number for a craftsman "working appropriately to the task at hand" as a friend of mine puts it. So Strad's pace of 2/month is easy to understand in that context.

What am I missing?

[MANFIO]

Making a violin in 80 hours would be a marvelous thing, one violin every 10 working days... I take more time, unfortunatly.

Antonio counted with the help of his two sons, Francesco and Omobono, both worked decades (perhaps five decades each one) for his father.

[DarylG]

80hrs? I'm not sure the resultant violin would look much like a Strad.

[johnsr]

Manfio...so how much time does it take you...assume this varies but on average???

[MANFIO]

Hi! I've never counted the hours. I work quickly but I find 80 hours too litle for making, varnishing and adjusting a new violin. But I'm low tech, almost no power tool.

[COB3]

To graduate from the (recently closed) Shuback school of violinmaking (Paul Shuback) the maker had to demonstrate (among other things, of course) the ability to make a violin in the white in 40 hours. And some are faster yet--yes, with all hand tools, and high-quality, professional work. I will never be that fast, but I know people who graduated from that school...no joke.

[johnsr]

Do you know what they then charge for these violins???

[Claire Curtis]

A much more commonly quoted figure is 150-200 hours.

I know luthiers who can make a violin in three weeks, but most prefer to say it takes about 6 weeks. However, one often makes two violins at a time.

--Claire

[MANFIO]

Hi chcurtis, you've made me feeling better, I find 200 hours ok, as well as 3 or 4 weeks. We makers pass a lot of time making indirect work such as sharpening, cleaning the shop, washing brushes, studying, talking with musicians, choosing raw materials, varnish and ground research etc.

[your_piano_stud]

How about Nicolas Bergonzi? Was he prolific or did he have a small output? I mentioned his name because I recently met someone who owned one of his instrument. hmm... such gorgeous looking and sounding instrument!

[Eric_Roy]

How about Gobetti? That should rank high on this list of high quality, low output.

[MANFIO]

I may be wrong, but I believe that most Venetian makers (as Gobetti) had a relatevely low output

[Oded Kishony]

I make a cello in 4 weeks including varnishing (of previous cello)

Oddly a violin takes me almost the same time.

Oded K.

[COB3]

At the time I was talking to one of the graduating students, they were asking $4,000 USD-- that was 20 years ago. (At the time, I remember thinking, "That's $100/hour--must be nice!")

[Jeffrey Holmes]

I suppose it's certainly possible to make an instrument, unvarnished (woodwork only) in 40 hours... One of the students at the Warren/Chicago school did so on a bet while I was there. It was pretty rough...

Graduation required a series of tests (ID, repair, history), a varnished instrument (one made before the test, but varnished during it), and a technical drawing (design) and build of an instrument "in the white" within a 6 week period (working time of about 32-35 hours a week).

Most fine makers I know of can manage to build between 8 and 12 or so instruments a year working alone (full time), if that's all they are doing....

[MANFIO]

Hi Jeffrey, I imagined that the "40 hours" violin was not all that good. 8 to 10 instruments a year is a good number.

[Ron1]

I'm researching the life & work of the Chicago & Madison, Wis. luthier Knute Reindahl. Certainly not low-output; he made 575-600 instruments, working entirely alone & without powered tools. His average was about 2 wks per instrument for a good number of years during his career. His production can be attributed to his superior woodcarving ability. Ron.

[Brad Dorsey]

I once had a silver mounted violin bow stamped, in large letters, "K REINDAHL."

[MANFIO]

One thing that will influence the output of a maker is if he dedicated himself to repairs and restoration. Only few makers worked just with new making, most of them had to do repairs.

[Regis]

Ron,

If you are still collecting info, there are 2 Knute Reindahl violins shown in Tarisio Red Book (sales in 1984 & 1998)

[Tyler]

Ron,

I thought you were going to assemble a Knute Reindahl webpage? Do you still have plans to do so? I have a nice one from 1907. Very impressive carving, graduation, tone, etc.