Have You Considered a Small Pattern 4/4 Violin? Have you found it challenging to play a full-sized violin because its dimensions don’t fit your fingers or your arm length just right? Have you tried a 7/8 size and found that it was just a bit too small and perhaps didn’t project as much as you’d …
Looking for Something a Bit Smaller than a Full-sized Violin? Read More »
How Much Should You Spend on a Violin Bow? You’ve committed so much attention to the purchase of the right violin and now you have to make a decision on a suitable bow to match. Your first question may be, “Given what I just spent on my violin, how much should I allocate to the …
How Much Do Violin Bows Cost, and How Much Should You Spend? Read More »
For over forty years, Benjamin Ruth has been prolific in his creation of fine violins, with many of his instruments featured in leading violin shops nationwide. From his studio on Boston’s North Shore, he focuses on the creation of custom instruments for active, professional musicians. Ruth’s instruments have been internationally recognized as evidenced by numerous …
Roland Feller Dolce Violins is honored to present the fine instrument and bow collection of Roland Feller. View the collection. A graduate of the prestigious State Violin making School in Mittenwald, Germany, Roland Feller has been providing high-quality string instruments and restorations to the Bay Area since 1977. Feller discovered his passion for lutherie at …
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 …
