Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù” Giuseppe Guarneri ranks as one of the greatest violin makers of all time, next to his famed contemporary, Antonio Stradivari. Although Guarneri and Stradivari share a lofty place in music history, the marked differences between the appearance and sound of Guarneri’s instruments and those of Stradivari make comparison almost impossible. Some …
Choosing an instrument is the most important decision any musician can make. It’s not just a major financial investment; it’s also a highly emotional choice that affects both your musicality and your career trajectory. As a professional violist, it can be difficult to find the right instrument for your needs. To start, professional violas vary …
Featured Professional Violas from Master Modern Makers Read More »
Finding the Right 7/8 Violin or Small Pattern Violin For You The 7/8 violin is not produced by many makers, and this model can be hard to find. At Dolce Violins, we enjoy the challenge of curating well-crafted 7/8 violins and small pattern 4/4 violins that produce a beautiful tone. We seek out both antique …
John Dodd I (1752-1839) spearheaded the development of the modern English bow, going down in music history as “The English Tourte.” Initially a metalworker, Dodd’s career took him to Paris to explore advances in screw mechanisms. There, he encountered François Xavier Tourte and his revolutionary bow model. Dodd switched to bow making around the 1770s …
James Tubbs Rumored to have made over five thousand bows during his career, James Tubbs’ (1835-1921) output stands as some of the best bows of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, rivaling even his most celebrated French contemporaries. Tubbs apprenticed under his father, William Tubbs, before opening his own studio in the 1850s. Around 1858, …
Born to a Mirecourt winemaker and luthier, Joseph Henry received the bulk of his bow-making training in Paris. He moved to the capital at the tender age of fourteen to apprentice under luthier Georges Chanot. Henry honed his craft under Chanot, who like his colleague, Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, was not a bow maker but thoroughly appreciated …
How Much Should I Spend on My Cello Bow? You put a lot of care and thought into choosing your cello; your bow deserves the same attention. But how much do cello bows normally cost? There is no simple answer to this question. Your cello bow cost will vary based on your needs, including your …
The Cost of a Cello Bow – How much should you spend? Read More »
Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri, also known as ‘filius Andrea,’ was the second son of Andrea Guarneri. He assisted his father for nearly twenty years and, upon his father’s death in 1698, inherited his father’s workshop. While his reputation as a maker is overshadowed by other family members, and by his contemporary, Stradivari, Giuseppe still managed …
Giuseppe Guarneri ‘filius Andreae’ – Violin Maker (1666 – 1740) Read More »
The Nürnberger family workshop in Markneukirchen produced a large output of high-quality bows from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. Although the bows were made by multiple family members, many of them bear the label “Albert Nürnberger,” created when Franz Albert Nürnberger II (1854-1931) formalized the family brand. While already a part of an …
Jacob Eury, sometimes mistakenly known as Nicolas Eury, was born in Mirecourt and began his training as a violin-maker under his father, François. However, Eury quickly shifted to bow-making. His burgeoning career was interrupted by the Napoleonic Wars, but after he returned from military service, Eury may have apprenticed under Jean “Grand” Adam. Eury moved …
