About Us
Hansell Violins, under the leadership of Roger Hansell, have been making prestigious instruments since 1987. This small company expanded in 1993 to its current premises in Leyburn in the beautiful North Yorkshire Dales where violins, violas and ‘cellos are made. We are also uniquely equipped to make superb instrument fittings, all carefully hand finished.
At Hansell Violins, the guiding belief is that everything should be done as beautifully as possible, and everyone involved in the making subscribes to this idea. The short film below gives a little more information about us so please take some time to watch it and learn some more.
Your first contact with Hansell Violins will usually be on the telephone or by email and you will always receive courteous and relevant advice from our team.
Roger Hansell is a distinguished British luthier, noted for making exceptional copies of historic instruments. Instrument making is under Roger's direction and his reputation in this field is second to none.
Roger studied Fine Art under Patrick Reyntiens and Cecil Collins at the Central School of Art in London. He was inspired by their teaching which stressed the importance of craftsmanship in art and art in craftsmanship and this principle can be traced throughout his work. After beginning his career in Italy, he has been based in the market town of Leyburn for over thirty years.
Georgina Keays is the Head of Fittings. She has worked closely with Roger for 30 years and her knowledge of the minutiae of fittings surpasses that of most of the people in this field.
Having talked and worked with many luthiers and players the world over, Georgina is acutely attuned to the myriad needs and requirements of musicians today. Additionally, she is sensitive to the form and beauty inherent in many of the items under her care.
Matthew Trout works with Georgina to make fittings which are used by discerning luthiers and prestigious violin houses worldwide, as well as on our own instruments of course!
Having previously worked in the manufacture of extremely high tolerance prostheses, he originates many of the fittings' designs and he is very adept at streamlining tooling to make everything as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Corinne Hirst, our Workshop Coordinator, is responsible for our sales and communications. When you call Hansell Violins, she is the first point of contact, and is always happy to help and connect you with Roger (instruments) or Georgina (fittings).
Our Vision
We feel that fittings on an instrument are crucially important and the set up should never be compromised by a tailpiece, pegs or any other part being of inappropriate size. We will always make exactly the size of tailpiece that you require; this way, the sound of your instruments can be at its optimum.
Our Goals
We will always use the best available materials and to stay on top of changes in supply regulations and ever changing customs rules. We aim to provide the best service over our competitors, but not compromise on our friendly and accommodating reputation, we always want to say ‘yes’ to you, the client.
Our Principles
We will always put our client’s wishes first, and try to accommodate them wherever possible. We believe the exact source of wood is becoming more and more of an issue, and we fully support efforts to safeguard the endangered habitats from which it comes. We are investigating native materials in the hopes of finding suitable and beautiful alternatives to endangered species. We make everything here in the workshop using the many specialised tools of the trade.