Martin hails from Düsseldorf and studied cello with Jürgen Wolf before being drawn to violin making. He studied at the Newark school of Violin Making in the U.K., graduating in 1988. He has worked in the Netherlands and Germany before moving to Melbourne where he set-up his workshop in 2001. Since then, Martin has been an integral part of the Melbourne, indeed the Australian violin making scene, being one of the founding members of the Australian Violin Maker’s Association (AVMA).

This violin is based on an Andrea Amati model, and how nice it is to see new makers stepping outside of the modern confines of the ubiquitous Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù models. This is a great looking instrument with it’s full arching on a slightly more petite outline.

The two piece back plate is of narrow flamed maple with the figure running horizontally; the sides and head are of similar wood and the two piece top plate is of medium spaced grain lines at the centre, growing a little closer towards the flanks. The violin is finished in a beautiful warm amber varnish which is treated to a complex faux-antique pattern revealing a golden ground.

Typical for these models, it has a lovely sweet tone with a clarity throughout that provides a projection that belies the notion that loudness is the only measure of worth! It’s well balanced and responds quickly to the bow, has nice ringing overtones and is perfectly proportioned for accurate double stoppings. This is a violin that will develop with the player and, of course, it is beautifully made and should become the treasured musical partner of an advanced student or young professional.

Martin Schuster German Violin, 2000

Reference: VN.1035