Innovation is mandatory for a contemporary luthier. Today’s instruments are played in larger rooms and are subject to a greater string tension. In order to build an instrument with a powerful, yet qualitative sound, tradition needs to be paired with the search for new balances.

In 1993, a master cabinetmaker taught me the technique of varnishing. It is a technique that requires a lot of skills, dexterity and many hours of application. It has taken me years to perfect it, but it has definitely added extra value to my work.

It is a huge challenge as I always push myself. Being a perfectionist, and thanks to my observation skills and commitment, I am generally pleased with the outcome. Besides the formal qualities of the instrument, my goal is to achieve powerful and balanced sound, very rich in harmonics and comfortable to play.

There is no magic here, it is all about mechanics. To make a good instrument that has perfect acoustics, you need to balance the tension that strings generate. And the solution always lies within, and it is the instrument itself that guides you to find it.