Nothing anyone can say about how violins sound is very convincing because, for violinists, it is how it feels under the chin and the ear that counts.
I offer photos of my violins at this site to give you an idea of my visual aesthetic. But personally, I have no interest in how musical instruments look if they don't sound wonderful. That is why, more importantly, I also offer what I like to call Tone Bites, morsels for the ears, which are extremely short snippets of music to give you an idea of how the particular violin pictured sounds. As for the rest, that requires you to actually play my instruments for you to get an idea of how my violins feel under the chin and bow.
You will find by clicking on the "Judging Violins" button, my views on how I evaluate the sound of violins. If you are interested to learn about how I think about building instruments, Click on the "Art of Making" button. There you can read some articles I have had published on the acoustics of violins and on the varnish I invented to enhance the acoustics which I build into every instrument I make.
Because the acoustical principles I use magnify the differences in the woods from which the instruments are made, each of my instruments sounds distinctive and unique. I think you will find, nevertheless, that they all bear a kind of family resemblance. The similarities are the result of how I choose wood and the principles I apply to enhance the sound of the instrument. Though I am extremely selective about the quality of the sound of every piece of wood I use in the construction of my instruments, still, I never attempt to make all my instruments identical sounding. That would be boring. However, I insist that each instrument be as good musically, acoustically, and behaviorally as possible, as is within my powers, for the wood used in that instrument. As you know, wood is not equal. Therefore the best possible outcome for each instrument is also not equal. That is why I price my instruments based on the acoustical and musical properties unique to each instrument. Those which are better suited to concert performance are more costly than those which work better in an orchestral situation.
If you are interested in playing and hearing one of my violins, email me and I will direct you to where those closest to you can be viewed.
The following link will allow you to hear a recording of one of my more recent violins. This recording was made by Mauricio Aguiar. The violin was made in 2004 in the style of Guarneri "del Jesu".
Click here for a Sound Sample of my Opus 379*
Keith Hill - Violin Maker