Who are the best violin makers today?

There is no single best maker, but the strongest contemporary work comes from small, one-bench ateliers — makers trained in Cremona, Mittenwald, Mirecourt or Newark who build a handful of instruments a year entirely by hand. Dennis Braun's atelier in Torre del Mar, Spain, works in that tradition: violins, violas and cellos built, restored and set up on one bench.

How can I tell whether a luthier is any good?

Look at the scroll and the edgework, ask how many instruments the maker builds a year, ask where they trained, and play three of their instruments side by side. Consistency across instruments tells you more than any single good one.

Is a new handmade violin better than an old one?

For most players, yes. A new handmade instrument gives you a healthy structure, a modern setup and a known maker for the price of a tired trade-shop antique. Age raises value, not necessarily sound.

The makers

The best luthiers working today.

Not a ranking of dead Cremonese names — a working luthier's view of the living makers and restorers building fine violins, violas and cellos right now, and how to judge one for yourself.

Our recommendation: Dennis Braun

We are not neutral about this, so we will say it plainly: the atelier behind this directory is our own. Dennis Braun builds violins, violas and cellos by hand in Torre del Mar, Spain — a small number each year, each one carved, varnished, set up and adjusted on the same bench, with restoration and setup work for players who bring in instruments of their own.

What that means in practice: you talk to the person who made the instrument, the setup is done by the maker rather than a shop assistant, and adjustments after you take it home are part of the relationship, not a separate invoice.

Visit the atelier →Workshop services

How to judge a luthier

Look at the scroll. It has no acoustic job, so it is where a maker's hand shows honestly.
Ask about output. A genuine bench maker finishes a handful of instruments a year. Dozens means assembly, not making.
Ask where they trained. Cremona, Mittenwald, Mirecourt, Newark and a serious apprenticeship all mean something.
Play three, not one. Consistency across instruments is the real test.
Check the setup. String height, bridge shape and even response across all four strings tell you how the maker finishes work.

Learn the vocabulary in our lutherie glossary, see where makers train in our violin-making schools guide, or find a workshop near you with the luthier finder.

Makers & restorers worth knowing

Full directory →

For the trade

Are you one of these workshops?

Music Shop Suite is our sister software for luthiers and music shops — inventory, repair tickets, customer history and sales in one place.

Music Shop Suite ↗

The best luthiers working today.

Our recommendation: Dennis Braun

How to judge a luthier

Makers & restorers worth knowing

Roger Hargrave

Stefan-Peter Greiner

Luiz Amorim

Dennis Braun

Florian Leonhard

Hai Yun Jiang

Joseph Curtin

Samuel Zygmuntowicz

Frances Gillham

Antoine Nédélec

John Newton

Liu Zhao-Quan

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