George Stoppani, Manchester 2004

About the instrument:

George Stoppani (born 1949) was a British luthier, acoustic expert and well known for his brand ‘Real Gut Strings’. He originally studied Literature at the University of York but quickly diverted his career to instrument making.

Stoppani – whose Italian name comes from his Venetian grandfather, Pietro Faustino, who came to London in the early 1900s – first developed an interest in historical string making while in association with Northern Renaissance Instruments in Manchester.

He was determined to pass on his knowledge to other makers by contributing to the Villefavard acoustics workshops in France, Oberlin Acoustics Workshop, and research projects at the Bibao violin making school in Spain.

Before moving on to modern orchestral instrument making, Stoppani made a significant amount of period instruments, including classical guitars and a lute. After needing appropriate strings for his own instruments, he developed an interest in historical string making.

The violin back, length 355mm, is in two pieces of quarter-sawn maple with a curl of medium width; the ribs, scroll and neck of similar wood. The front is of fine grain spruce and the varnish of a red-brown colour on a golden ground.