Holstein Traditional Plowden Violin

Holstein Traditional violins: handcrafted in our select VSA award-winning workshop. These instruments are made from the high quality European tonewoods; select spruce for the top and select maple for the back and ribs of the instruments. Our Holstein Traditional violins are made in various replicas and copies of violins made by the old masters, such as Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Amati, and Maggini. The patterns and dimensions of the wood, as well as the varnish, are copied from the originals to achieve the same tonal qualities.

This violin is inspired by the Guarneri 'Del Gesu' 'Plowden' violin made in 1735. The original was was named after its first recorded owner, the London collector C.H. Chichele Plowden, known as "the most reputed amateur of his day". Plowden purchased the violin from London dealer John Hart; he also owned the d'Egville, King Joseph, Dushkin, and Ole Bull Guarneri's.

The Setup

Holstein Traditional violins are setup with quality fittings and strings to bring the most out of the instrument. The Despiau “Three Tree” bridge is hand-carved and fitted to each individual instrument by our luthiers during the set-up process.

Violin Specifications

Varnish:  Real hand applied oil varnish

Fingerboard: Fine Ebony

Fittings: Ebony

Bridge: Hand-carved professional level Despiau 3-tree or Holstein 3-star Bridge

Strings: Luthier's choice. Standard is Thomastik Dominant or Vision. We select and match the strings carefully to bring the most out of each individual instrument.