Spring 2017

A considerable part of this spring I spent in the workshop Kogge and Gateau in Berlin, and in Mark Wilhelms' workshop in Suhr, Switzerland.

The workshop of Daniel Kogge and Yves Gateau is known for their high quality restorations and sound adjustments.
While I was there I worked on a German violin with cracks in its front, and on a cello with missing wood in its ribs. (Slideshow right).
It was very enlightening to be in this workshop, with Yves, Barbara, Daniel, Almuth, Ikuyo and Martin and all the time they took to show me techniques and instruments (and Berlin by bike) and advise me on my projects.

Below photographs before and after crackrepairs in a violin. With many thanks to the Kogge and Gateau workshop.

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Mark Wilhelms' workshop in Suhr, Switzerland was also very interesting. This workshop is already in its second generation. It was established in 1962 and now looks after about 1600 rental instruments besides carrying out repairs and restoration projects as well as new making.
Here I worked mainly on two projects: a violin where the neck had come out with the button broken off the back, and another violin with a small hole in its ribs and some cracks in its front. This was probably the workshop with the most people working in it I have been in so far. I very much enjoyed meeting Mark, Eli, Brigitte Wilhelm, Boris, Marie, Florian, Nik, Rose, Yvan and Brigitte Terrier.