Dorset luthier Jeremy Walsh on listening to the wood, a double bass jigsaw, holding a $15m Stradivarius and Friday night rave music
In his self-built workshop at the end of his cottage garden, Jeremy Walsh dexterously taps his fingers over the belly of a violin he is making. ‘Audi lignum’ he tells me. ‘Listen to the wood. That’s my motto.’
It’s about a month’s work to handcraft this beautiful instrument from spruce and maple, using patterns developed by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698-1744) – the famous Italian violinmaker, whom Jeremy hails as a genius.
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
Specialist tiny curved planes, gouges, violinmaker scrapers and even horse tail are all used in the exquisite carving. Mares’ tail (equisetum), one of the oldest plants in existence, has been used by violin makers since before Stradivari’s time – it is a perfect finishing abrasive on the wood before it is varnished.
Once the external shape is perfected, Jeremy cuts the F holes and fixes the base bar, all the while listening and tuning the wood.
‘Every piece of wood is different, and must be treated as an individual,’ he explains. Making the scrolls (the decoratively carved beginning of the neck)is his favourite part. ‘I was taught that these are the external signature for the internal verity of your work. If you see a well carved scroll, you can be confident you’ve got a good instrument.’
A luthier (someone who builds or repairs stringed instruments)in Dorset for more than thirty years, Jeremy relies on word of mouth for his private commissions, selling to music shops and repairing and restoring instruments for musicians across the country. ‘You can advertise all you like, but it’s what people say about you that counts – and that’s a lovely thing.’
One of his most demanding projects was piecing back together a double bass. ‘A musician had found it in an old ballroom. It was in so many pieces he delivered it to me in a tea chest. It was like a huge jigsaw and I had to make all the missing parts. I loved it!’
Jeremy recalls his childhood bedroom filled with Airfix planes hanging from the ceiling. ‘I was always doing something creative – building, or taking things apart.’
It was while studying for a degree in politics in Lancaster in the 1970s that he got into playing double bass – ‘very badly!’ – in jazz bands and scratch orchestras.
‘Double basses just come apart for a hobby. The wood moves constantly in humidity, and you’re always banging them into things as they’re such cumbersome instruments.
Consequently, I spent a lot of time going to see repairers to get mine put back together and stop it “buzzing”. These chaps spent all day with beautiful instruments, whittling bits of wood and listening to Radio 3. I thought that would be a perfect use for a politics degree!’
Jeremy moved to Bristol and persuaded expert luthier Rod Ward to teach him the craft. ‘Rod must be in his eighties now, and he’s still making. He’s an exacting craftsman and continually finding ways to improve his instruments. He’s an inspiration and a hoot! At lunchtimes, we’d nip to live Radio 3 concerts at St Georges Church on Brandon Hill.
‘Afterwards, we’d nab the musicians and scrutinise the string quartet’s instruments.
We’d also go to Sotheby’s and Christie’s when they were auctioning Stradivarius’. It was a fantastic education. The auctioneers allowed us into their inner sanctum and let us loose on grand master instruments that ended up being played by famous soloists like Nigel Kennedy. I’ve got photos of myself holding an instrument that was offered at 15 million dollars. I could have easily dropped it … and Rod played folk tunes on it!’
Jeremy’s life choice has certainly hit the right note. ‘Most people thought I was mad to take this up for a living. But I’ve never had any sort of plan or career aims. I just know I would’ve died long ago if I’d had to sit in an office every day. I just like making things, and I love that I am still learning my craft. And listening to Radio 3 … except for Friday nights, when I listen to rave music on Six Music. It’s great, a noisy accompaniment to carving!’
Jeremy can be contacted on
jeremywalsh@btinternet.com or 07929 597207
Jeremy’s quick fire questions:
Dinner party A-list?
Cooking for my wife, three kids and old friends who make me laugh. I’d love to host author Terry Castle, avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, historian Dame Marina Warner, classicist Mary Beard and author Margaret Attwood. Eavesdropping on the conversation of these sassy, intelligent and incredible women and basking in their brilliance would be a complete hoot.
Book on your bedside table?
Nearly always travel and history books – Greece, Rome, the Middle East … ‘Geometry, Proportion, and the Art of Lutherie’ by Kevin Coates is a book that ticks all my boxes.
Best violinists?
Viktoria Mullova and Jascha Heifetz
Best violin music?
Bach – his violin concertos and especially his sonatas are utter bliss.
