Handcrafted Instruments by Hector Lidgate

Priced at £5,000

New handcrafted Viola by Hector Lidgate, based on a G.P. Maggini pattern
English, 2015
Length 16 1/4” / 41.5cm : Upper Bouts 7 5/8″ / 19.5cm : Lower Bouts 9 5/8″ : Ribs 1 3/8″ / 3.5cm
Front of best quality alpine spruce with regular, narrow grain across the full width
Maple back with light figuring with matching ribs and neck/scroll
Ebony finger board, pegs and tailpiece with adjusters : Dominant strings
Traditionally oil varnished in a light chestnut colour
With excellent tonal qualities and ample power it will please players looking for a first rate viola

New handcrafted Viola by Hector Lidgate, based on a G.P. Maggini pattern
English, 2015
Length 16 1/4” / 41.5cm : Upper Bouts 7 5/8″ / 19.5cm : Lower Bouts 9 5/8″ : Ribs 1 3/8″ / 3.5cm
Front of best quality alpine spruce with regular, narrow grain across the full width
Maple back with light figuring with matching ribs and neck/scroll
Ebony finger board, pegs and tailpiece with adjusters : Dominant strings
Traditionally oil varnished in a light chestnut colour
With excellent tonal qualities and ample power it will please players looking for a first rate viola

Full size Violin, hand crafted by Hector Lidgate, to a Strad pattern
English, made in 2011
14” / 36cm
Maple back, attractively figured
Front of best quality Italian Spruce, very closely grained
Traditionally oil varnished in a light-chestnut colour
Ebony pegs & soundboard, Wittner tailpiece with fine-tune adjusters, fitted with Pirastro Evah Pirazzi strings
Plays extremely well, it is one of the best that I have made – highly responsive, good projection, very colourful and delightful to listen to. Will only improve with time and the daily attention of a loving owner.

Full size violin, handcrafted by HJ Lidgate to a Strad pattern
English, made in 2015
14” / 36cm
Italian maple back, lightly & attractively figured, with nicely matching ribs
Front of best quality Italian Spruce, even grained
Traditionally oil varnished in a light-chestnut colour
Ebony pegs & fingerboard, Wittner tailpiece with fine-tune adjusters, fitted with Dominant strings
Good sound with early mellow tone, which will develop with regular use. Even, powerful, very playable
Excellent value and a super instrument for an advancing student or keen player

Full size Violin, made by Hector Lidgate to a Strad pattern
English, 1995
14” / 36cm
Attractive Maple back, light and evenly figured
Front of Alpine Spruce with narrow grain in the centre, widening to the edges
A very distinctive violin, in that I varnished this instrument in a red-orange colour close to that of Stradivari’s Messiah, and used a wide purfling for the edges – individual and unique
Swiss-pattern ebony tuning pegs, ebony finger board and Wittner tailpiece with fine-tune adjusters, and Dominant strings
A responsive instrument and with a lovely tone

Cello to a Stradivari small pattern
Of probably German origin, circa 1890, extensively restored by me in 2014/15
Length 30″ / 76.2cm : Upper Bout 13 1/2″ / 31.8cm : Lower Bout 17” / 43.2cm
Back and ribs are entirely original
Front of best quality Italian Alpine Spruce, shaped, graduated and tuned to match the back by HL
Neck and scroll are a faithful copy of the original, in good quality maple, made by HL
Finished by HL with a traditional orange-brown oil varnish to complete the restoration
New ebony tuning pegs and finger board
Fitted with Jargar strings and a Wittner Ultra-light tailpiece : modern light-weight spike
If you are looking for a very good cello at a reasonable price, this might well be the one : definitely worth playing

Full size violin to a Strad pattern
French, c.1890
14” / 36cm
One-piece back, attractively figured
Fitted with a modern tailpiece with adjusters, ebony tuning pegs and Dominant strings
Very clean condition and with no evidence of repair
I originally restored and sold this violin in 2004 and have recently welcomed it back from that customer after 12 years of contented playing
Plays beautifully – highly responsive with a lovely mellow tone, this violin will do whatever you want it to do

Full size violin to a Strad pattern
Italian, 20th century
Length 14” / 36cm
Labelled, Paoli Luigi, Trieste
A beautifully made instrument in excellent, clean condition
Moderately figured back, with matching ribs and neck that all hang together nicely
Light chestnut coloured varnish in good condition despite evidence that it has been much played
One of my ‘tame’ professional players had a vigorous session with this instrument and declared “there’s nothing I can find that’s wrong with it !”. High praise.

Full size Violin, broadly to a Strad pattern
Probably of French origin, c.1900 – 1930
Approx 14″ / 35.9cm
Original varnish, with a few stories to tell
Back and ribs of maple with some figure : front of spruce with narrow grain in the centre, widening to the sides
All ebony fittings with a Wittner tailpiece with fine-adjusters
Quality fitted bridge and Dominant strings
Restored and reworked by me in 2015, to achieve significantly improved tone and projection
A good student violin that works well, attractively priced

Full size Violin
Made in France, c.1900
14 1/4” / 36.5cm
Matching maple back & sides with modest figuring
Front of close-grained spruce
No evidence of damage or previous repairs, with edges unworn
Original mid-brown varnish is showing it’s age on the front : evenly figured through the back which is attractive and where the varnish is in good condition
New ebony pegs and fittings, Wittner tailpiece with fine-tune adjusters, and Dominant strings
The combination of higher than average arching and careful graduation of the plates, gives this violin a most attractive tone
Good student violin

Full size Violin, of Czech origin, to a Strad pattern
Early 20th century
14” / 36cm
With original red-brown varnish, appropriately faded & distressed with age and usage
Fitted with a modern tailpiece with adjusters, ebony tuning pegs and Dominant strings
During restoration of this instrument I repaired cracks in the lower wings of the F-holes
Front and back plate thicknesses adjusted and satisfactorily tuned
Plays well, powerful and good value