Before my hands ever met maple and spruce, I was a violinist. Not just any violinist — I was first violin in a Ukrainian symphonic orchestra , living the life of rehearsals, solos, and the occasional fingernail disaster. Music was everything, and the violin was my constant companion. But as every serious player knows, there’s always that nagging question: Is there a better violin out there? I decided to find out. I saved every penny to buy the violin I had been dreaming of —

Every violin maker knows this phrase. Every violin maker has said it. Every violin maker has regretted it. “Just one more thing” usually happens late in the day, when the violin looks good, sounds good, and is absolutely begging to be left alone. But no. You notice something. A tiny thing. Something no audience will ever see. Something no musician asked for. Something that absolutely cannot be ignored. Just one more thing. You lightly adjust the bridge. Which means the soundp

A Perfectly Normal Day in the Life of a Violin Maker: The day starts like all serious violin making days should. Breakfast, followed immediately by a very serious espresso . I walk into the workshop and look at the violin I worked on yesterday. It looked perfect last night. This morning, however, I immediately discover at least twelve catastrophic mistakes  that somehow appeared overnight. Everything must be fixed. Immediately. After carefully correcting things that only anot