I carry a wide array of bowed stringed instruments and bows for professional, amateur and student players…from full size violins down to 1/8th size as well as all sizes of violas and cellos. Check the individual listings for Violins, Violas, and Cellos in their own sections of my website for a more complete listing. If you don't see what you are looking for here, please feel free to give me a call. I might have it even if I haven't put it on the website. (651) 698-4692.
I really should have photos of all the instruments I have in the shop, but I'm too busy working! Any photos can be provided at your request.
Check individual categories for more detailed descriptions of instruments and bows. There is an instrument for every player, and a player for every instrument!
In Stock and for sale:
Children's sizes, from 1/32 size up to full size.
Looking for a 3/4 size violin?
I currently have 36 3/4 size violins available, along with cases and bows!
Full size violins:
Some individual instruments are listed below.
A violin by Claude Victor Rambaux, Paris, 1846.
Born in Darney, France in 1806. Died in Mirecourt France, in 1871.
Darney is a city in North Eastern France, in the Vosges region.
Rambaux was an apprentice to the Luthier Louis Moitessier, in Mirecourt, from 1820 to 1824. He then went to Thibout in Caen, until he went to Gand in Paris, in 1827, where he had a chance to see some of the finest examples of Lutherie.
He started his own shop 1838, and finally retired to Mirecourt in 1837.
The violin has a one-piece back, great wood throughout, is in great condition, and has a rich dark strong tone. Well worth checking out.
A Violin by Steve Rossow, St. Paul, 2023.
Steve Rossow was born in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1971. His father was in the Navy.
The family moved to St. Paul a couple of years later. He started learning how to play guitar in 1988, inspired by the style of Leo Kottke.
In 1998, Steve started learning guitar and mandolin making and repairs at the technical school in Red Wing.
Steve joined the team here at my shop learning violin making, repair, and restoration, and quickly became proficient.
Since 2012, Steve has been the instructor, teaching violin making, repair, and restoration at the school in Red Wing, while making and restoring instruments in his spare time.
Steve is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.
This violin is Steve's Guarneri model. Photo below.
A fine violin by Stefano Marcolini, of Milan, Italy, 2004
A fine Italian instrument is near perfect condition. Ready to play.
Peresson, Sergio, Haddenfield, New Jersey, 1985.
Sergio Peresson was born in Udine, Northern Italy, in 1913. He died in 1991.
He worked for William Moennig from 1963 to 1971 in Philadelphia. He was a prolific maker who counted among his clients Jacqueline DuPré and Rostropovich.
Included with the violin is the original certificate of authenticity, signed by the maker.
The violin has only had one owner, and is in great condition.
Stephen Kujawa, who was born in 1921, and died in 2005. Kujawa started playing violin at age 4.
The violin was made for him by Peresson in 1985, and he played it until he passed away. He studied with Victor Aitay, Co-Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony. He played as first violin for eight seasons with the Messiah Orchestra under Margaret Hillis, Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. In 1987, he played first violin in the First American Congress Orchestra conducted by Sir Yehudi Menuhin. The orchestra was based at College Park, Maryland. Stephen performed solo at Carnegie Hall in 1991, playing his Peresson violin.
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Hickerson, Vernon, 1969.
Hickerson, Vernon, 1982.
Melanson, Raymond, Boston- 1986, Guarneri model.
A prolifiic Luthier, Raymond Melanson is a long established professional Luthier with a great reputation. His instruments are being played by professionals all over the world. A very highly respected maker.
Montanari, Pio, -Genoa, Italy, 2007 Guarneri model. An Italian violin in great conditon.
Montanari lives and works in the beautiful city of Genoa. Italy.
Frederick Ewald Haenel 1939 in Toronto, Canada.
Haenel was born in Saxony, Germany. He started making instruments in 1917. He stopped making instruments in about 1960. During his career, he had violin shops in Winnipeg, Toronto, Buffalo, New York, New York City, and Boston. His instruments were popular in the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Made for The Rudolph Wurlitzer company. Stradivari model.
Thomas Fawick, Cleveland, Ohio, 1957. Fawick was a musician, successful industrialist, and inventor, born in 1889. Passionate about music, he owned the famous "Wilhelmj" Stradivarius violin of 1725, named after the great German virtuoso who previously owned it.
Fawick experimented extensively with violin making, using his Stradivarius as a model, and came up with a plan to produce new violins using carefully chosen treated wood. The parts were made in the shop of Paul Hilaire in Paris, and sent to workers in Cleveland, Ohio, where they were varnished and set up.
If you compare the Fawick instruments with the ones from the shop of Hilaire, you can see the same careful workmanship.
This violin is in great condition, and even has its original sound post!
A violin made by Geary Baese:
Geary Baese, 1993
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Violas:
A Viola by Benjamin Ruth, Boston, 1998-
Maggini Model, 16 5/8" body length. 375 mm string length.
This viola, previously owned, was made on a model of Giovanni Paolo Maggini, which has been proven to have excellent tone.
One piece back, of striking slab cut maple, which contributes to gives the viola a rich, deep, darker sound. matching ribs, neck, and scroll.
Excellent aged Spruce for the top.
Ben won a gold medal at the Violin Society of America for a viola made on this model.
Ben has now been making violins, violas, and cellos in the Boston area for more than 30 years.
A viola made by Matthias Dahl- Minneapolis, 1967-
A rare viola, preveiously owned, by this well known Minneapolis maker using his own model. It has a spectacular one piece back.
Brian Skarstad viola- New York, 2001-
This beautiful Brescian style viola has been previously loved. It was made for a special musician who used it until he passed away, and now it needs to go to the next owner.
15" Violas:
"Santuro Lucci" West Coast Strings-China- 2003 $1600.00.
I have many more 15" violas available. I just need to spend the time to list them all!
15 1/2' VIOLAS:
Workshop of Steven Cundall, Texas- "Giorgio Luigi Belloso" 2004 $4200.00
Workshop of Steven Cundall, Texas- "Giorgio Luigi Belloso" 2006 $4580.00
15 1/2" -16 1/8" Violas-
Alkis Rappas;
Alkis S. Rappas started taking private violin lessons at the age of nine. He received formal violin training at the Bucharest George Enescu School of Music for three years studying with Mirca Vasilescu, a student of George Enescu and CArl Flesch. At the age of seventeen, Alkis decided to pursue a career in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and continued playing violin in community orchestras and for his own enjoyment. He completed undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at the Bucharest, Romania, and the Athens, Greece, Polytechnic Universties. After receiving a Ph.D. from Yale University in Engineering and Applied Science, he embarked on a successful and highly rewarding career as an R&D engineer and inventor fo the next 40 years.
Alkis started violin making in the early 1980's, inspired by the acoustical research of Carleen Hutchins. He attended workshops to learn more about Hutchins work with Ed Campbell's Chimneys Violin Workshops in Tucson, AZ, to learn more about the practical applications of acoustics in violin making. This started a full time parallel violin making career to the one in engineering and R&D.
I 1992, Alkis was invited to learn from Vahakn Nigogosian, "Nigo", who worked at the Wurlitzer along side Simone Sacconi. Nigo started the Oberlin Violin Restoration Workshop, which had begun a few years earlier. Nigo taught at Oberlin until his passing in 1997. The Oberlin workshops continue, with the violin making workshop being under the excellent direction of Christopher Germain. There, along with now many of the most successful Luthiers of our generation, Alkis has gradually gained information, data, techiques, tools, examination and analysis of classical Italian masterpieces, and research at the highest levels.
Alkis has learned to appreciate and apply in his own making the key elements of the Italian making traditions, style, character, and tonal qualities. Being an accomplished player himself enables Alkis to assess the tonal qualities of his own creations.
Alkis makes violins and violas intended for professional musicians, advanced students and passionate amateur players. The tonal and artistic qualities of these instruments result from the melding of both traditional Italian violin making methods and principles, and modern day research on the acoustics of violins and violas. Alkis has been rewarded many awards for his instruments, including silver medals for tone. His focus now is totally on violin and viola making.
I am pleased and honored to offer a 16 inch viola in my shop, made by Alkis Rappas.
There is much more to the story of this viola.
Alkis told me about going to Italy to buy wood from the best wood dealers, and choosing wood with his Italian friend Luca Primon. He told me about the time it takes to make the varnish and apply it himself. He told me about drawing the viola himself, with input from other maker friends at Oberlin, using classical proportions and dimensions in the style of the Italian masters.
Please call for an appointment to try it.
A fine viola by Edwin Halloran, Chicago. 15 7/8". Edwin has a knack for making a comfortable to play viola with a great sound.
Scott, William Robert - Viola, 16 3/8". Made in Minneapolis in 1999. A fine example of Bill's work.
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I have many more 16" and largerviolas. I just haven't listed them. I will add more as I have time.
A viola by Arnold Anderson, labelled Minneapolis 1979,
The body length is almost 17 1/2". The string length is just under 15".
It's a big viola. Brescian model. Very good condition.
Full size violin and viola bows by such makers as, Charles Peccatte, Roger Zabinski, Lee Guthrie, Matt Wehling, David Forbes, Manoel Francisco, Martin Beilke, Arcos Brasil, Alfred Knoll, J. P. Gabriel, Horst John, Marco Raposo, Erich Steiner, Alfred Knoll, and many others.
Roger Zabinski
Matt Wehling
My inventory of older bows includes bows by many different makers including, Martin Beilke, W.E.Hill &Sons, and many more.
Please call for current availability.
I am currently offering several Italian violins-
Pio Montanari- Guarneri model violin made in Genoa. This is a new violin and has not been antiqued. The price is $16.000.00. It comes with a certificate from the maker.
Cellos:
A fine cello made by Alejandro Puig, Viola Wisconsin 2021.
The cello was modelled after the "Saveuse" Stradivari. Willow back, spruce top. Flamed maple ribs. This cello is comfortable to play and has a warm rich sound. More information about the maker, and photos of the cello, can be seen on the maker's website puigviolins.com.
Christopher Dungey, Boulder, Colorado in 1996.
This cello was modelled after Domenico Montagnana. It is a full size cello with a deep rich powerful sound.
A cello by Mathias Dahl, Minneapolis, Minnesota, made in 1959. The cello was made for Elizabeth Close, an architect, who was an avid amateur cellist and was a founding member of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis and was fond of playing chamber music.
Zumberge, Scott, Minneapolis, 1982.
Mathias Dahl,
Mathias Dahl was born in 1888. He moved to the United States in 1910. He made his first violin in Norway when he was seven years old because he wanted to learn how to play.
His first violin shop job was when he worked for Halvor Blakkestad, and he worked there until Blakkestad retired in 1924. He worked with a variety of other Luthiers until finally haveing his own shop in 1958. He died in 1973. He is said to have made close to 400 voilins, 15 violas, and 7 cellos.
Dahl cello, Minneapolis, 1942.
This fine cello is featured in the book "Violin & Bow makers of Minnesota, by Thomas Wenberg.
The label reads "The Dahl Stradivarius Fecit Minneapolis 1942". Photos upon request.
Dahl cello, Minneapolis, 1965
Clemente & Weise, Bubenreuth, Germany, 2004.
Wenzel Fuchs, Germany, 1969 sold.
Stohr, Illner & Riedl
Bairsdorf / Inglesdorf, Germany, made in 1995. Excellent condition. Baiersdorf is a small town in northern Bavaria in the region of Erlangen and Bubenreuth. A good sturdy cello.
7/8 size cellos;
A cello by Paul Hart. Made to be comfortable for someone for whom a full size would not work.
Instruments and bows are available in most price ranges. if you don't see what you are interested in listed, please call or send me an email inquiry. I may have what you need.