The Makers

Victor Unsworth

1948-2023

Victor was largely self-taught, though he had some time at the Mittenwald School of Instrument Making.

Victor was largely self-taught, though he had some time at the Mittenwald School of Instrument Making. He was a professional viola player and brought this knowledge of performance into his instrument making.

His violins are based on a number of classical models though Guarneri del Gesù, Giuseppe Guarneri filius Andreae and Andrea Guarneri reoccur quite frequently. Violas are predominantly either Stradivarian in conception or follow Gaspar da Salo. Violoncelli may be based on a variant of the Piatti Stradivari, G.B. Ceruti or Sanctus Seraphin.

His work is clean, accurate and professional in appearance. His fame as a maker during his lifetime was perhaps limited by his natural inclination toward a certain reclusiveness. However, the violin-making cognoscenti who examined his instruments would always express a high respect for his abilities.

our listings

Victor Unsworth