Handcrafted violins, double basses and guitars as well as repair and restoration in Lutherstadt Wittenberg
Geigen- und Gitarrenbau Stephen Painter
Lutherstadt WittenbergNew on Amplifa
About the Workshop
Geigen- und Gitarrenbau Stephen Painter is a one-person workshop in Lutherstadt Wittenberg that has been in existence since 1994. Owner Stephen Painter, an instrument maker trained in London from the English region of Norfolk, builds violins, double basses and guitars exclusively by hand. In stringed instrument making, the workshop follows the tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries; in guitar making, unusual instruments such as 13-string guitars and baroque guitars are also created. The instrument wood used is stored for a long time in a climate corresponding to later usage environments such as concert halls; hide glue is used as the adhesive because of its reversibility. The finishing is done by hand with linseed oil varnish for stringed instruments and shellac French polish for concert guitars. In addition to new construction, the range of services includes maintenance, repair and restoration of stringed and plucked instruments, including historical instruments, as well as weekend courses in instrument making, in which participants build their own guitars, violins or harps under guidance.
- Site
- Lutherstadt Wittenberg
- Processes
- Violin making (new build, handcraft), Double bass making (new build, handcraft), Guitar making (new build, handcraft, also 13-string guitars and baroque guitars), Maintenance and repair of stringed and plucked instruments (incl. historical instruments), Restoration of musical instruments (museum-like meticulousness, preservation of original wood,, Finishing of stringed instruments with linseed oil varnish, Shellac French polish for concert guitars, Handcraft woodworking with special tools (acoustic work, wood selection)
- Materials
- Wood (instrument wood, climate-controlled stored), Hide glue, Linseed oil varnish, Shellac, Instrument wood, Shellac French polish
- Founded
- 1994
- Employees
- 1
- Industries
- Musical instrument making, Craftsmanship
- 01
Wood selection and climate-controlled storage
- 02
Handcraft woodworking with special tools
- 03
Gluing with hide glue
- 04
Acoustic work
- 05
Finishing (linseed oil varnish or shellac French polish)
- 06
Assembly and final inspection
Materials and Processes
Instrument wood
Climate-controlled stored wood, matched to later usage environments such as concert halls and living rooms.
Hide glue
Used because of its reversibility to facilitate later repairs.
Linseed oil varnish
Hand-applied varnish for stringed instruments based on historical models.
Shellac French polish
Surface finish for concert guitars.
Location
Lutherstadt Wittenberg
DEWorkshop and sales
- Lot size
- Single-piece production
- Materials
- Instrument wood, hide glue, linseed oil varnish, shellac
- Hand tools for woodworking
Instruments
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin making (new build, handcraft)Assembly | – | – | – | Single-piece production | Holz, Hautleim, Leinöllack |
| Double bass making (new build, handcraft)Assembly | – | – | – | Single-piece production | Holz, Hautleim, Leinöllack |
| Guitar making (new build, handcraft, also 13-string guitars and baroque guitars)Assembly | – | – | – | Single-piece production | Holz, Hautleim, Schellack |
| Maintenance and repair of stringed and plucked instruments (incl. historical instruments)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Holz, Hautleim |
| Restoration of musical instruments (museum-like meticulousness, preservation of original wood,Assembly | – | – | – | – | Holz, Hautleim |
| Finishing of stringed instruments with linseed oil varnishSurface | – | – | – | – | Leinöllack, Holz |
| Shellac French polish for concert guitarsSurface | – | – | – | – | Schellack, Holz |
| Handcraft woodworking with special tools (acoustic work, wood selection)Machining | – | – | – | – | Holz |
| Courses/weekend courses in instrument making (guitars, violins, harps, ukuleles)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Holz |
Additional services
History
- 1993
Stephen Painter, trained in London, comes from England to Germany
- 1994
Foundation of the workshop in Lutherstadt Wittenberg
- 1995
Marriage to music educator Christiane Treu
- 2018
First own double bass new build, construction time around 18 months