Martin Schuster 'Strad' Violin Melbourne 2024

This violin was made by Martin Schuster in Melbourne, Australia in 2024. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Martin Schuster came to violin making through music and craftsmanship. He studied cello with the principal cellist of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra before graduating from the Newark School of Violin Making in England in 1988. After Newark, Schuster spent twelve years working as a maker and restorer in master workshops in the Netherlands and Germany, including with Joost van der Grinten, Peter Körner and Gerriet Groth. He moved to Melbourne in 2001 and established his own workshop, and is a founding member of the Australian Violin Makers Association. Schuster makes violins, violas and cellos using traditional materials and methods associated with the Cremonese tradition. His work combines new making with restoration and repair of older instruments and bows.

This violin is labelled "Martin Schuster fecit / Melbourne anno 2024". The violin measures 357mm along the back, 167mm across the upper bouts, and 207mm across the lower bouts. The back is in two pieces of well-flamed maple with a medium curl, and is heavily antiqued. The ribs and scroll have been made to match. The front is of a finely grained spruce and is finished in an red-brown varnish on a golden ground, with ebony fittings.