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A violin coming from the hands of a
single person
— referred to as “benchmade” — is a rarity
today. Most violins are made in pieces: a
specialist carves the scroll, another carves
the arching, a third inlays the purfling and so
forth. While a nice violin often results, the
individual character gets lost in the process.
Character is what makes professional violins
alive, thrilling, and visually fascinating.
Stephen Perry™ benchmade violins start at
$6000.
NOTE: I'm not making very much at this
point. Please inquire before counting on
getting one directly from me!
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My approach:
The state of violin making
Most violin making today tends to be somewhat sterile. I suspect the
sanded perfection of mass produced violins and the pressure to conform
presented by competitions greatly stifles much innovation. I can't tell most
modern violins apart, with notable exceptions, of course. Most don't seem
to present any kind of real conceptualization; they are just clones of greater
or lesser quality of the old violins. I like old violins, but I like to know I'm
looking at a piece of wood, too. Most modern fiddles look over worked to
my eye. Too much sanding and smoothing and messing about with this and
that.
Fast and decent work
I like looking at fiddles of the Brescian school. These guys worked with
wood and acknowledged it, worked with it. Not that I don't like the Cremona
school of imposing perfection on wood, but I'm rather fond of good solid
carpentry. I have a difficult time distinguishing art from carpentry anyway.
And a violin is simply a tool. A nice tool, but just a tool. I like violins to have
texture, to be interesting. Reviews in The Strad like this too, writing of black
mastic oozing around the purfling, lovingly pointing out tool marks and so
on. Things the same writers would be horrified at in modern violins.
So that's what I try for: good solid carpentry, acknowledging and working
with the wood, protecting the work with thin honest varnish, and striving for
interesting and effective acoustics. And of course, to make a pretty fiddle.
Wood
I've used a number of kinds of wood. For backs, I've used big leaf maple,
hard birdseye maple, northern red maple, and nice Bosnian maple. Tops
I've used red spruce, sitka, Engelmann, & European. I think I like the
traditional woods best for a purely classical model, with red spruce or
Engelmann and red maple for fiddles. Although big leaf is a strong second
for fiddles. I prefer broad figure over tight figure, and rather like slab cut
backs.
Arching, graduation schemes, and acoustics
I mostly make Stradivari influenced models. I've been influenced by the
Betts and the Milanollo, but I don't get too wedded to exact copies of the
arching. Something I find important is to shape the top arch around the F
holes in conjunction with cutting the F holes. That way I can get all the
details worked out adequately. I use a bunch of different checks on
graduation (thicknessing) of the final plates. I like to keep the weight down.
I'm interested in the Brescian work. I'll probably do some Brescian style
instruments eventually.
I work a good deal on the acoustics of the instrument once it is set up as
well. I'll work with scrapers on metal rods, small burnishers and so on to get
the instrument the way I want it.
Finishing
I’m constantly working on my finishes. Finishing lots of commercial violins
has greatly helped me. With our production work, I used to finish more
violins in a year than some makers do in a lifetime. I’m gradually evolving
my own soft, supple varnish that dries quickly but remains wonderfully
flexible.
I color my violins by mulling pigments in linseed oil, mixing with oil varnish,
and brushing on. The varnish I'm using at the moment is mastic, tung oil,
and turpentine. I only use the highest quality pigment I can find.
Time & Preferences
I'm torn between doing everything else a busy shop needs and making
violins. I also have mixed feelings about commissions and have stopped
taking them. I'm making what I like and letting the instrument find someone
it likes.
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Example:
2004 Stradivari Pattern
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