5 incredible examples of antiqued contemporary violins

Gonzalo Bayolo is a Spanish luthier based in Santiago de Compostela, and one of the finest makers of his generation. He brings a deep knowledge of the science and history of the trade to the bench, and the results have an unmistakable character of their own.

He works most often from Guarneri del Gesu, including the 1737 "King Joseph", and from Stradivari, and his antiquing is expert. A violin of his took an honourable mention at the Cremona Triennale for its resonant, even sound across all registers. He also works widely as a restorer, holding a Hans Weishaar certificate.

His instruments are played by orchestral leaders, by players in major orchestras and by knowledgeable collectors, principally in the United Kingdom.

Bayolo is one of our favourite makers and consistently produces some of the finest contemporary violins we see. The sound is complete: balanced, even and focused throughout, with the power and projection of a soloist's instrument and none of the depth or warmth sacrificed to get there. On the King Joseph models the E string has outstanding brilliance without losing sweetness, the G is rich and full, and the middle strings are resonant enough that a player can use the whole range. There are no weak points. His prices are rising along with his reputation, which makes his work an unusually good long-term acquisition.

Marc Paquin is a Swiss violin maker based in Granada, Spain. He is unusual among contemporary makers in being a performing violinist as well as a luthier, and it shows immediately in the setup and response of his instruments.

Paquin began making in 2000, training in Switzerland with Philippe Girardin and Sylvain Rusticoni, both gold medallists at Cremona and in the United States, and later taking restoration courses with Jean-Jacques Fasnacht. Since 2006 he has pursued his own research into projection, timbre and playability. He works principally from Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu models, returning often to the "Cannone" and the "Ole Bull".

His instruments are played by Sergey Malov, Leticia Moreno, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Tatiana Samouil and Sungsic Yang, and by professional players across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Malov inaugurated one of Marc's violins playing the Schumann Concerto in Granada with the maker in the audience.

Marc is among our most requested makers, and one of the few whose work we order again without hesitation. His Cannone models have enormous power, an open sound and a colour range that players recognise within a few bars. The Ole Bull instruments are darker, with a D string of unusual resonance that holds its own beside the G. Because he plays himself, the setup arrives close to ideal rather than needing months of adjustment. Every Paquin we have offered has found a home quickly.

MyLuthier is the only dealer representing Marc Paquin's instruments since 2022 and have an allocation of new violins every year.

W. E. Hill & Sons is a London firm established in 1880. For over two and a half centuries the Hill name has stood for craftsmanship and for the highest standards of expertise in the English tradition, and it remains synonymous with English violin making.

The firm makes instruments, bows and accessories entirely in its own Hampstead workshop. New making is directed today by Stefan-Peter Greiner and Robert Brewer Young, continuing where the historic Hill instruments left off. The models are drawn from the finest examples available: golden-period Stradivari including the "Messiah" of 1716, Carlo Bergonzi, and the "Rode" Guarneri del Gesu of 1734.

Hill instruments and bows are played and collected worldwide, and the firm's historic certificates remain among the most recognised documents in the trade.

Both Hill violins we have handled showed the same command of the model with quite different characters. The Bergonzi is bright and distinctive, extremely responsive and precise, and that clarity gives it plenty of projection, particularly in the higher register, with a wide tonal range and the brilliance many players are looking for. The "Rode" Guarneri is charming and balanced, with an E string that sings beautifully and depth and resonance across the whole range, and it is versatile enough to move between settings without complaint.

Frederic Chaudiere is possibly the best-known violin maker in France. His workshop, opened in 1986, is in the Hotel Magnol in Montpellier, where he builds violins, violas and cellos for musicians all over the world.

His work has an immediately recognisable signature: a deep red and honey-brown varnish that lifts the natural grain of the wood rather than hiding it, and backs of strongly flamed maple chosen for acoustic as much as visual reasons. He works most often to Guarneri models. His son Octave is also a maker, and the family influence runs in both directions.

Chaudiere instruments have been played by Ruggiero Ricci and Alexandre Sitkovetsky, among many other established soloists internationally.

Frederic makes instruments of consistently very high quality and the ones we have handled have all shown the same character. The sound is a dark Guarneri sound with real weight on the G string, and the natural fullness of the instrument lets it resonate freely, which gives a player a great deal of flexibility. Against that darkness sits an impressive brilliance and projection on the E string. It is that combination of power and colour range that makes his violins among the most versatile we carry.