Julyan Rawlings

Julyan is one of the very few violin makers we have met who has managed the tour de force of making fine copies of Stradivarius and Guarnerius violins, whilst a self-taught luthier. We asked Julyan how he got to become such a skillful and talented maker, and here is his very modest reply:

“My background as a violin maker is unusual in that I am entirely self taught. I became interested in violins when looking for instruments for my daughter. By the time she needed to move up to a 3/4 sized violin she had reached a resonable standard and I wanted to find her a better quality instrument. Realising I knew nothing about violins I decided to do some research and instantly got hooked. This led me to make my first violin which of course was not very good – so I had to make another one. Twenty instruments later I am still grappling with the subtle complexities that have to be perfectly combined to create a good instrument. The internet has become a forum for the exchange of ideas about violin making and I try to continue to improve my instruments by incorporating the best of the discoveries and techniques that are generously shared by Luthiers around the world. I mostly make antiqued instruments which currently seem to be more popular”

Julyan is actually being very modest because his instruments are truly excellent! Book your appointment on 029 20 22 77 61 to come and try them!