It has been said that we now live in a "new Rennaisance" or "new Golden Age" of violinmaking. This began in the 1970s with the establishment of schools in Europe, the UK, and the USA which aimed to revive the traditions and share the knowledge available. It was recognized that the emergence of rock and other musics and the attraction of the guitar had dramatically reduced the demand for the violin maker, yet there was a 400 year old traditional vocation which many felt the need and the passion to maintain. A new generation of makers came equipped with a more egalitarian philosophy - to discover and share the "secrets" of violin making.

 

In cooperation with continual and growing scientific research into the functioning of these mysterious instruments, many old myths were simplified or discarded, and the practice of making new instruments quickly reached new heights of quality. As violin making is traditionally a somewhat solitary activity, with the advent of the internet many makers embraced the new-found ability to share online. These days the level of tuition available for free online allows anyone with enough dedication, passion, talent and time the possibility to make a violin. It has also allowed the quality of professional makers to seriously sky-rocket in recent years, at the same time as prices for antique quality violins have also been sky-rocketing.

 

As a result, the quality-to-cost ratio of violins made by contemporary professional artisan makers is without a doubt far better than that of antique collectible instruments. Get acquainted with some of these fantastic instruments and their makers at Viulumo!