Peter Wamsley violin, London 1730

Peter Wamsley was one of the more prominent English violin makers of the later part of the seventeenth century through to the early-mid eighteenth century. He was appointed violin maker to the Prince of Wales before retiring in 1741 after a long and illustrious career. This violin, inspired by the work of Jacob Stainer, is typical of Wamsley’s style, with steeply curved arching in the middle bouts and characterful “f” holes. The tone is both rounded and silvery, with a soloistic projection in the upper registers and warmth and depth on the lower strings.