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Guided Open Studio: Make a Violin

Build, finish, and string a violin so it's ready to play or get an old, damaged one back into playable shape.

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Guided Open Studio: Make a Violin

Guided Open Studio: Make a Violin

Build, finish, and string a violin so it's ready to play or get an old, damaged one back into playable shape.

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Registrations Closed

About

Building a violin is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. These sessions give you the opportunity to work on your project with guidance from an experience luthier. Sign up for the sessions that work for your schedule and go through all the steps, from shaping the parts to assembling them, applying finish, and setting up your instrument so it's ready to play.

Details

  • Skill level: Open to beginning woodworkers and students who don't play the violin or fiddle (the instruments are the same but the playing differs). Experience with either or both crafts would be an asset.
  • Violin kit: If you're new to this workshop series and need a violin kit to start your project, please select the registration option that includes a violin kit.

Prerequisites

Before joining these workshop sessions, you must have completed:

Class Policies

  • Ages 14 and up are welcome.
  • Wear closed-toe shoes.
  • If you need to use power tools to shape any parts, you will also need to wear safety glasses, tie back long hair and avoid loose-fitting clothing and jewelry. We recommend bringing your own safety glasses.
Instructor
Clay Levit

Clay Levit owned and operated Fiddler’s Green Music Shop, a stringed instrument store in Austin, Tex., for 15 years. He began learning violin building at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute in New Hampshire and studied varnishing with Joe Robson in Ohio. He loves the combination of art and science inherent in the craft of building violins or fiddles. Clay makes fiddles and does repairs in his workshop on Bainbridge Island. When he’s not making fiddles, you might find him playing Irish fiddle music in a pub session!

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