Fabulous German master violin made by Roland Hodapp in 1987

With this 1987 master violin, Roland Hodapp demonstrates mature and artistically oriented violin making craftsmanship that honours the highest aesthetic and acoustic standards.

This personally signed German master violin by Roland Hodapp is a mature piece he crafted in the 23rd year of his work as a freelance luthier and as one of the most interesting masters of his generation. An enthusiastic violinist even as a young boy, Roland Hodapp was born in Oppenau in 1932 and learned his trade from Konrad Leonhardt at the Mittenwald violin making school; his teacher gave him not only a comprehensive education but also shared with him a rigorous orientation towards the highest artistic standards, an approach which defined his oeuvre as a whole. And this attitude also affected the violin presented here, which was patterned after his personal model. For the one-piece back Roland Hodapp selected maple with unusually lovely flaming; its tight and somewhat dynamic grain is elegantly highlighted by the golden-yellow oil varnish. The flawless execution of the smallest details, especially the purfling and the expressive scroll, illustrate not only the master’s highly refined aesthetic sensibilities but also his thoughtful and thorough approach to creating an acoustically impeccable instrument. As a result, this violin satisfies the highest musical standards, and given its unblemished condition after having been carefully set up in our workshop, it can now express the full range of its bright, radiance and mature sound with a sophisticated character marked by a sweet note, rich timbre, warmth and solid volume.