Restoration
Florian Leonhard Fine Violins is one of the few remaining large-scale restoration workshops in the world. Mr Leonhard leads a team of specialist restorers trained in the most eminent schools of the art and apprenticed with some of the most notable shops before joining our international workplace.
- workplace restoration
Our restoration practices are of the highest quality, precision and craftsmanship. Florian’s expertise in fine violins allows the workshop to faithfully follow the stylistic idiosyncrasies of the given maker.
The workshop’s commitment is to preserve as much of the original material and form as possible, ensuring the restoration is conservative and discreet. Original varnish is carefully cleaned and a minimum of re-touching is employed, with no over-polishing. Traditional methods of repair are also combined with many modern techniques and refinements.
Sound Adjustment
Our dedication is to the client. For sound adjustments, we explore the available options taking into account the characteristics of the instrument as well as the specific demands of the player. The work is carried out in an unhurried and attentive manner to achieve the best sound for each instrument. We also offer re-hair and repair services for bows.
New Instruments
Due to the success of his business as a dealer and restorer, Florian’s new making is today limited to just a handful of fine copies a year. His new instruments are heavily influenced by his extensive experience working with old fine instruments and are usually copies of originals that we have on our premises. They are crafted to the same exceptional standard as our restoration work, starting with the meticulous choice of wood and down to the finest detail. Copies of a particular instrument chosen by the client can be built to the precise specifications of the original instrument.
Articles relating to violin making and its history
- Tools & bushings developed by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins
Conical Bushings
Over its many years, the process of violin restoration has undergone umpteen changes. Throughout the 18th-, 19th- and part of the 20th centuries, restoring violins was generally approached in much the same way as repairing furniture, which is to say the strength and function of the repair were of primary interest to the craftsman.
