Fine Contemporary Italian Violin, Gaspar Borchardt, Cremona, 2008
Centered, radiant, even

Gaspar Borchardt is a highly considered luthier. Born in Germany in 1961, he moved to Cremona in 1984 to attend the International School of Violin Making. His production is characterized by a remarkable attention towards details; Borchardt makes his instruments following the “classical Cremonese method”, but using his own forms.
In 2015, Borchardt set out to find the same type of wood that Stradivari used: a flame maple from the Bosnian forests; 2-300 years old, straight with dense annual rings; felled in the winter, and in the proper lunar phase, when the tree is at its lightest. Not only do these specificities seem daunting, but traveling in Bosnia is highly dangerous due to the existence of land mines remaining from war in the 1990s. This incredible expedition was recorded in the documentary The Quest for Tonewood.
This violin has a lovely two piece maple back with medium flame that slants upward from the center joint. The scroll is delicate and is a beautiful element of this instrument. The top has prominent narrow grain that adds character to the aesthetic of the violin, alongside Borchardt’s unique carving of the F-holes. The varnish is a warm amber that is heavily shaded revealing a pale golden ground.
The tone is centered and even while also being radiant and pleasing in the room and under the ear.
The interior label reads: Gaspar Borchardt fece in Cremona in Piazza Duomo Anno 2008
The violin is in excellent condition.

Measurements
Length: 35.5cm
Upper Bouts: 16.8cm
Middle Bouts: 11.2cm
Lower Bouts: 20.6cm