Biography

I was born in 1961 and grew up in North Yorkshire. Being interested in both music and woodwork, I made my first instruments whilst still at school, with the guidance of an enthusiastic woodwork teacher. In 1979 I went to the Newark School of Violin Making, where besides learning the basics of violin making and repairing, I became interested in the recognition of instruments made by the old masters and their differing styles of work.

William at work 2004 After qualifying in 1982, I moved to north Germany to join the workshop of Geigenbau Machold in Bremen, who have a world wide reputation for restoration work. Besides doing set ups, tonal adjustments and restoration, I had the opportunity to work on and study many of the classical instruments which passed through the shop. Being surrounded by fine instruments gave me the feel for what makes them special, and also provided me with some of the models for my own instruments.

In 1985, I returned to England and settled in York, where I quickly became busy with repairs but still managed each year to squeeze in making a few new instruments On moving to Shropshire in 1996 I decided to stop doing repair work, so free from that distraction , I can now concentrate on the more fulfilling work of making new instruments.

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