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About Us
Background
Sydney Luthier Justin White has been crafting musical instruments for over 25 years and to date has built over 160 instruments. His interest in lutherie was an amalgamation of both his background working with wood and tools growing up and his musical studies in both classical guitar and violin.
Justin began his musical studies as a teenager, learning both electric and classical guitar before taking up the violin. His tertiary music studies were at the University of New South Wales, where he studied both modern and baroque violin, and graduated with first class honours. He then undertook postgraduate research study in music theory and analysis.
As a musician he has been active in and held principal positions in numerous community and privately run orchestras. He has worked in a freelance capacity for choirs and community theatre and opera groups. He is currently concertmaster of the Mosman Symphony Orchestra. Justin also worked as a violin teacher for over 10 years.
What Can We Help You With?
Lutherie
Justin’s primary occupation is handcrafting musical instruments, handcrafting a variety of violins, violas, cellos, and guitars. He has made over 160 instruments, ranging from violins, violas, and cellos, to baroque and renaissance guitars, as well as steel string and classical guitars, and ukuleles. His instruments have received consistently high praise from all who play them. Clients include past and present members of the Sydney Symphony, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Antipodes (Pinchgut Opera), Bach Akademie Australia, Canberra Symphony, and the Adelaide Symphony, as well as numerous schools and private music teachers. He operates his workshop in Hornsby in the north of Sydney and teaches violin making at the Australian Guitar Making School Sydney branch.
Instrument Styles
The violin family instruments are built in the traditional style of the Cremonese masters, using only genuine European tonewoods and traditional varnishes. Instruments can be made either in a modern setup, or in a Baroque setup for those engaged in historical performance.
The guitars are made according to a range of styles, including modern classical, and several styles of romantic era guitars, and Renaissance and Baroque instruments. I am particularly drawn to the elegant beauty and refined sound of the 19th century romantic guitar and the majority of my guitars are replicas of these.