Tulloch Violins - Orkney Violin Maker

The Workshop	Colin Tulloch makes his violins individually in a small workshop near his home, where he has many high quality tools, some of which are handmade to his specifications by Brian Hart in Wales and Hans Karlsen in Sweden. Alongside the workshop he has a purpose-built room where the completed instruments go to dry after varnishing. Colin’s recent violins are based on a Guarneri model, and his varnish is handmade from a recipe that has changed little since the age of the great Cremonese violin makers.
Materials Selection
For the tops, Colin uses Alpine Spruce (Picea excelsa). European Maple (Acer-pseudo platanus) is used for the backs and the finest ebony and boxwood for the fittings.	The finest pieces of wood are selected from Colin's seasoned stock to make each instrument. Colin allows the wood to acclimatise to the conditions in the workshop for several months before beginning to make a violin.
	The varnish Colin uses has changed little since the days of the Cremonese Masters, and is in fact based on a recipe he found in a 17th Century manuscript.
His varnishes are made from ingredients including amber from the Baltic region, Mastic, pine resin and linseed oil. Sometimes, Colin colours the varnish with pigments obtained from various natural resources. As part of the varnishing process, a "distressed" effect can be applied if required, to give a beautiful antique look to the instrument.