Jan B. Špidlen  &  František Špidlen violin makers

Violin making

A Family Tradition Spanning Five Generations

What is it that makes Stradivari’s instruments remain unrivaled, even after several centuries? How is it that this phenomenon has yet to be surpassed – even in today’s world of precision analysis, 3D scans, and countless technological advancements? And has it truly not been surpassed? These are the questions our predecessors asked, and ones we continue to ask ourselves. The mystery of Stradivari and his contemporaries from the golden age of Cremona remains a constant source of inspiration, challenge, and motivation for us.

Violins possess a remarkable and essential trait: they improve over time. Technically speaking, material fatigue actually enhances them. As the wood becomes worn through vibration, it relaxes slightly, offers less resistance, and resonates more freely. It’s said that a violin has been “played in.” This process cannot be bypassed or artificially replicated. A violin is “played in”- or gently fatigued – in a unique way, depending on which parts are more or less stressed through performance. In short, it must happen through playing. And naturally, a skilled violinist will “play in” an instrument better and faster than a less experienced one.

Trade

In Violin Making, Everything Is Connected

When crafting new instruments, we draw inspiration from the old. And since those old instruments pass through our hands—whether for restoration, appraisal, or collecting—it’s a natural step toward dealing in them commercially. We therefore also engage in trading master instruments, especially those of Czech origin, as these are the ones we understand best. We recognize that in this field, customer trust is absolutely essential. In a market filled with questionable instruments and forgeries, customers rely heavily on the integrity of the dealer. We know that such trust takes a long time to build—and can be lost just as easily.

You’ll find a wide selection of cases, strings, and other accessories—not only in our physical shop but also in our ONLINE STORE, managed by Jan’s wife Marta. These include rosin, cleaners, mutes, chinrests, endpins, and more. We represent the well-established Canadian manufacturer of shoulder rests, KUN.

Repairs and expertise

The Craft of Violin Making Is Deeply Interwoven with History

The fact that old violins remain excellent instruments—that they aren’t used up and thrown away—has given rise to a remarkable culture around stringed instruments. There is a limited number of these fine old instruments, and their makers have long since passed away. That makes them all the more precious. Added to this is their story and historical value, as with any antique. And so, a market has emerged for old and expensive instruments, making them prime targets for forgers. Which is why experts are needed – those who can distinguish a fake from an original. Just as important is responsible repair and restoration.

Old and rare instruments have always been part of our family story – whether in František’s hands in Russia, J. Vitáček as curator of the Russian collection, Otakar in his successful dealership, Přemysl as a passionate enthusiast and internationally respected expert, or in the care of Jan and, more recently, František. We strive to apply this accumulated knowledge in our work, particularly as specialists in Czech instruments.

Family history

The first violin maker in our family, František, came from Sklenařice in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains. He trained under František Vitáček, who was a student of Josef Metelka, son of Věnceslav Metelka – founder of the Krkonoše Violin Making School in Paseky nad Jizerou. Thanks to this lineage, our family is counted among the Krkonoše school of violin making, even though we have been based in Prague since 1909.

František was an extraordinarily gifted and perceptive individual, as evidenced by the remarkable progress in his craftsmanship after he moved to Russia. There, he encountered top-quality instruments for the first time—he was able not only to emulate them but also to learn from them. His early instruments from Krkonoše and those from his later years in Russia and later in Prague, are incomparable.

Instruments gallery

Examples of work by all members of our violin-making family.

Blue violin story

Played by the excellent Czech Violinist Pavel Šporcl