This violin, by master American luthier Douglas Cox, is patterned after the “Baltic” Joseph Guarneri “del Gesu” dated 1731. It is built from well aged New England grown wood. The back is cut on the quarter from two pieces of New England maple with medium-broad flames ascending from the bass side. The ribs and neck are of maple similar to that of the back. The table is of two pieces of spruce of mostly regular narrow to wide growth. The varnish is a rich orange-brown color over a golden ground and is shaded and imitated. The fittings are of carved boxwood.

Douglas Cox trained at the famed State Vocational School for Violin Making in Mittenwald, Germany. He returned to the United States to serve as the head of the repair department and chief restorer for J. Bradley Taylor, Inc. for a decade. Since 1981, Cox has devoted himself to producing high-quality violins and violas in his Brattleboro, Vermont workshop.

Cox’s background in historical instruments shaped his personal style, which combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary ingenuity. A lifelong learner, he is particularly interested in studying unusual violins. Cox creates modern masterpieces as well as meticulous reproductions of the work of Baroque masters such as Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. Throughout his long career, he has made over 1,000 instruments. Cox’s artistry has been recognized by the Violin Society of America, and his violins and violas grace concert stages around the world.

• Year Made – 2015 Brattleboro VT
• Labeled – “Douglas C. Cox, Brattleboro, Vermont, 2015, #903″ on one side and “Joseph Guarnerius fecit Cremona anno 1731 IHS” on the opposite side 
• Length of Back – 351mm 
• Condition – Excellent