About Us

INTRODUCTION

Hit the "Contact Us" button for further information about
and directions to Gainesville Violins.

Gainesville Violins is a proprietary business wholly owned by Jan and Anna van Rooyen in Gainesville, Florida, from where they have served customers throughout the USA and worldwide since January 1, 1998. Since 2006, Gainesville Violins has helpers serving the Tampa/St Petersburg as well as the Jacksonville areas.

An article appeared in 2007 in the Gainesville Magazine about Gainesville Violins. You can read it here (as a PDF document which is safe to open): Gainesville Mag Article.

Jan and Anna (of Dutch origin; "Jan" is Dutch for "John") were born and raised in South Africa and between themselves speak Afrikaans, a Dutch-derived language or dialect. They learnt English at school as a second language. They studied in South Africa, the USA and Germany. They have traveled in Africa, Middle Europe (such as Hungary and the Czech Republic), the Russian Federation, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Luxemburg, Brazil, Israel, Canada and the USA.

Before relocating to America at the end of 1997, they ran a violin
shop called Jan-Hendrik van Rooyen Violins in Pretoria, South Africa, which they had opened part-time in 1979. (See pictures
under "SOUTH AFRICA" below).

Anna and Jan van Rooyen on their arrival in the New World in November 1997.

For custom-made violins by violin-maker Jan van Rooyen, click here.

In 2004 Jan and Anna became American citizens:

"Dearest Jan and Anna, Most joyous congratulations upon you and your family. We cheer you on obtaining American citizenship! - From Michelle McCreary on behalf of all your friends and families at the Suzuki Institute of Dallas."

Michelle McCreary

"Congratulations on 7 wonderful years of service to the music community in America!
Affectionately - Marcus Galligan, Jacksonville FL (2005)."

Marcus Galligan

MANAGER

Gainesville Violins and its workshop are managed by Daniel Muni, who has worked with Jan and Anna since 1998 when he was 11 years old, first as apprentice, then assistant, then associate and currently as manager. (Click on the "Bows" button to learn more about Daniel and his bow re-hair and repair business, Gainesville Bow Works, which is associated with Gainesville Violins.) He studied bow rehair and repair with the renowned Lynn Hannings at the Summer Institute of the University of New Hampshire. Daniel graduated from the Business School of the University of Florida. In the summer of 2006, Daniel studied in France and traveled in Europe. He plays violin, viola and cello and was a violist in the Alachua County Youth Orchestra during his high school years. Daniel's violin is an antique German Stradivarius copy from the "Vault Collection" restored for him by Jan. His 17-inch viola was custom-made for him. His cello is a fine Gainesville Violins "Krystian Schaf".


Anna, Daniel Muni & Jan in 2004.	Daniel, Brussels 2006.	Daniel at work in 2006.


	Daniel in Paris (2006).	*Daniel at Notre Dame de Paris* (2006).**	Daniel in the workshop (2007).

APPRENTICES AND ASSISTANTS

Gainesville Violins has always made use of the traditional European apprenticeship model,
duly modified for and adapted to modern American circumstances:

TOP ROW: Evan McCartney became an apprentice in January 2005.

LEFT ROW: Evan
busy in the workshop in 2006.

Evan McCartney (above) left Gainesville Violins
in May 2008 to live in New Hampshire with his family.

RIGHT: A former apprentice in South Africa, Sammy IJsselmuiden, spent six months after high school working for a French luthier and a further six months with Gainesville Violins. Thereafter he studied aeronautical engineering at Delft in The Netherlands. Sammy plays an antique French Guarneri del Gesu copy that Jan restored for him back in South Africa (photo taken 2005).

LEFT and RIGHT: In March 2006 Alex Zawoy joined the team at Gainesville Violins as apprentice. Alex lives in High Springs near Gainesville and commutes to Gainesville to work with Jan and Anna one day a week. Alex is a keen fiddler, playing a great antique German Stradivarius copy from Jan's "Vault Collection".

Alex left Gainesville Violins in 2007.

LEFT: Assistant Amelyse Arroyo started as an apprentice in August 2005. She plays a fine antique French Buthod à Paris violin from Jan's "Vault Collection" and was a member of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra since her middle school years (pictures taken in April 2006).

FAR LEFT: Amelyse Arroyo commenced
violin lessons in 1993.

MIDDLE: Amelyse in recital in the Thomas Center, Gainesville FL, June 2006.

RIGHT: Amelyse after her senior recital (June 2006).

LEFT: Jacob Keith serves Gainesville Violins customers in the Tampa/St Petersburg area. (See the "Contact Us" page.) He was Concert-master of the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra (2006-2007).

RIGHT: Jacob Keith practises Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in the "Russian Room" of Gainesville Violins, then plays the same in a concerto competition. He plays a fine Panis Angelicus "Hellier" Strad copy from G Violins (see the "Catalog" page).

FAR LEFT: Jacob tweaks the pegs of a fractional size Antonio Vivaldi violin.

LEFT: Jacob has fun setting the soundpost of a small rental violin.

(Pictures taken in the Gainesville Violins workshop, 2006.)

LEFT ROW:

Kieron Reifsnider serves Gainesville Violins customers in the Jacksonville area.

ABOVE: 1. Kieron Reifsnider owns a copy of the famous "King Maximilian Joseph" Stradivarius that Jan custom-made for him. 2. Kieron plays Jan's "Red Violin". 3. Kieron adjusts a bridge in the Gainesville Violins workshop. He is a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra. (Pictures taken in 2007.) See further on the "Contact Us" page.

ABOVE: Jan and Anna

in the old Gainesville Violins showroom (1998).

ABOVE: Violins in storage. There is
a violin to suit every need! Certain
violins, such as some of the rare
antiques forming part of "The Vault
Collection", are kept off-premises
(see the "Catalog" page on this
website for more information).

Customers of Gainesville Violins include many two- and three-year-olds, some ninety-year-olds, school children of all ages, students, professionals, private violin teachers and school music teachers, professors, orchestra players, schools, studios, centers, and youth and other orchestras. Numerous letters and testimonials bear witness to their authors' happiness and satisfaction with the products and services of Gainesville Violins. Hit the "Customers" button to read more. You, too, could be part of the Gainesville Violins happy family of satisfied customers! No one needs to be left behind.


	Jan admiring a Guadagnini violin at Sotheby's, Chicago, 2000.	Anna and Jan travel a great deal in search of fine and rare violins. Jan visited Christie's Spring Auction, New York 2006.	"The Hammer" Stradivarius at Christie's, New York 2006.

LEFT: "The Hammer" Stradivarius fetched 3.54 million dollars (New York, 2006).

SECOND: Jan tries out a violin.

THIRD: Anna van Rooyen works side by side with Jan. She is also a bow repairer and rehairer in her own right.

FAR RIGHT: Jan plays a copy of a 1736 Guarneri del Gesu (inspired by "The Red Violin") that he and an associate made for himself in 2006. The violin is NOT for sale! (See the "Featured Instruments " page on this website for more information about Jan's custom-made copies of famous antique violins.)

To learn where the instruments at Gainesville Violins come from, scroll down to
the section "Where do the instruments come from?" below.

SOUTH AFRICA

In this section you will be given a glimpse of Anna and Jan's "previous life" in South Africa as "Jan-Hendrik van Rooyen Violins" in Pretoria. This business was established in 1979 as a part-time enterprise.

LEFT: Pretoria is a beautiful city famous for its flowering Jacaranda trees, rolling hills and great architecture.

THE SHOP IN PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA:

Jan in his loft workshop
in Pretoria (1995).

Jan and Anna van Rooyen

(1990).


When the new downstairs showroom was just completed, two friends walked in by chance. An impromptu party ensued instantly: Loutjie Coetzee and Dan Whitman (1996).		Fine artist Maggie Duvall (Jan and Anna's youngest daughter) working on a painting of Stradivarius in his workshop, after a work by Alessandro Rinaldi (Cremona 1896).

SOUTH AFRICAN COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS:


Violinmaker Fanie du Toit, the old friend who bought Jan and Anna's business when they relocated to the USA at the end of 1997.		Bertie Lombard, violinmaker and old friend. He, Fanie and Jan spent several weekends on "violin retreats" in the bushveld.		Daneman van Wyk, violinmaker and close friend. He and Jan spent many weekends together at Jan's shop discussing violin problems.

SOME SOUTH AFRICAN CUSTOMERS:


Andre Swanepoel, currently a free-lance violinist in England.		Chris van der Zee often arrived for an early Saturday breakfast. Currently a professional violist in New Zealand.		Henriette van Zyl baked the Van Rooyens a violin cake. Currently a violinist in the US.

Two favorite customers eventually got married (2004):
Coenraad Fick and Nettie van der Westhuizen.
They still play duets together!

COMMENT BY A SOUTH AFRICAN COLLEAGUE:

Johan Grobbelaar, violinist, orchestra director and presently a violin dealer in South Africa, wrote in 1998:

"Dear Jan: Wherever I go in South Africa, I come across people who refer to you and also instruments which they obtained through you. You definitely had a great influence in this regard and I am sorry that I never met you."

SOME MORE SOUTH AFRICAN CUSTOMERS:

In 1995, Anna and Jan found Morris Mentoor playing a borrowed violin at a Sheep Festival in Colesberg, a semi-desert town. Two weeks later they took him a brand-new violin outfit for himself, to much rejoicing in the community. The event even made the newspapers!

The Odeion String Quartet was the only full-time professional string quartet in South Africa. Here they are in Anna and Jan's shop: John Wille (viola), Michael Haller (cello), Abrie de Wet (2nd violin) and Derek Ochse (1st violin). (Photo taken in 1996.)

1996: The South African National Youth Orchestra rehearsing Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra under the baton of Gerhard Korsten in Pretoria. Jan and Anna had many customers in this orchestra.

Micaela van Rooyen (not related) gets her first full-size violin:


Discovery.		Ownership.		Sound.		Happiness!

SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHER AND MENTOR:

Swiss master violinmaker Max Peyer, one of Jan's mentors.

ABOVE: The beautiful Cape Peninsula with Table Mountain and Cape Town.

LEFT: Max in his Cape Town shop.

SOUTH AFRICAN APPRENTICES:


Cornelia Kuhles (1996).		Joy Maydell (1996).		The young Sammy IJsselmuiden with Eugene Fodor.

Sammy 1994 and 1996.

(Sammy eventually joined Jan and Anna for six months in the USA.)

1996 INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION:

THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH AFRICA, PRETORIA. JAN TOOK CARE OF
THE CONTESTANTS' VIOLINS ... HERE ARE A FEW:


Jan worked all night to fix the rattles in Zhanna Tonagayen's violin (Tartarstan Republic).		The Guadagnini of Roberto Cani (Italy) had some loose purfling rattling. It was hard to find but easy to fix.		Dmitri Andreev from Novosibirsk getting a fix.

WHERE DO THE INSTRUMENTS
COME FROM?

[NOTE: Most of the instruments available from Gainesville Violins, both antique and contemporary, can be seen on the "Catalog" and "Italian Violins" pages of this website.]

Jan and Anna travel a great deal in the USA and abroad to find vintage and antique instruments. Many of these instruments form part of "The Vault Collection". Such instruments are obtained from associated shops and workshops, pawn shops, flea markets, auction houses, private persons and special "finders" who work for Gainesville Violins.

During their travels, Jan and Anna also make sure to meet as many as possible contemporary makers to learn from them and collaborate with them.

Most contemporary instruments come from associated workshops. These are small (and some big) workshops with which Gainesville Violins has established a special relationship. The instruments emanating from these workshops constitute the "private label" or "shop brand" instruments of Gainesville Violins. The shops supply instruments made according to Gainesville Violins's specifications ... some completely finished, some half-completed to be finished in the Gainesville Violins workshop and some "in the white", in which case a great deal of the interior and all the exterior work is done in the Gainesville Violins workshop.

The way violins are produced in today's globalized world makes it pointless to enquire where an instrument was made. The locations are fortuitous and have nothing to do with quality. Due to international co-operation, most instruments start in one shop and are completed in various other shops, culminating in our own workshop. The relevant issues are quality of materials, workmanship and sound. That is why one of our mottos is "We Sell Sound". Our instruments are covered by our unbeatable lifetime warranty and minimum trade-in guarantee.

Gainesville Violins also "outsources" some production tasks to small American workshops in order to ease its workload. Tight quality control is maintained.

Finally, Gainesville Violins offers some national brand instruments, but even these are extensively tweaked in the Gainesville Violins workshop.


The Frankfurt (Germany) Musikmessehalle, where violinmakers meet every year. Jan and Anna attend as often as possible.		A similar meeting takes place annually in Los Angeles. Violinmakers from all over the world gather here.		Bucharest, Romania. Currently Romania (the home of Dracula!) makes some of the very best European instruments.		Reghin, a small city in the mountains of Romania, is home to several violin workshops.


Reghin town scene (Romania).		Ship named after the city of Reghin.		Vasile Gliga, master maker, owns several workshops in Reghin.		Jan meets with Vasile Gliga to discuss his requirements.


Anna inspecting violins in the storeroom of a large workshop which supplies Gainesville Violins with custom-made violins.	Violinmaker in one of the workshops associated with Gainesville Violins.	Cellos in the white waiting to be custom-varnished for G Violins.

Auctions often
lead to fine
antique violins.

Jan inspecting some fine and rare antique Italian, French and

German violins on auction.

Trips to auctions,
and small dealers
and New York are

"finders"
in Chicago
fruitful.


London used to be a searcher's paradise, but has become too expensive.	Jan trying out a fine violin in cold Oxford (1998), brrrrrrrr!	Sofia, Bulgaria: Makers in this country are producing very fine violins.	Jan and Anna with Maria and Mio Manduzic (from Croatia), special "finders" of fine antique instruments for them.


Prague: Czech violins have often been regarded as just so-so student instruments.	However, today the Czech Republic has some outstanding master makers such as the Spidlens (1992).	Jan Spidlen, 3rd generation maker, is the winner of many gold medals. He is called the modern Stradivarius of Europe (2004).	A magnificent Stradivarius copy made by Jan Spidlen (who is also a ski champion!). There is a long waiting list.


Completed violins in one of Gainesville Violins's associated workshops.	Jan selecting from batch of violins made for Gainesville Violins.	Only the best get selected for Gainesville Violins. Even so, Jan retains the right to return a violin for any reason whatsoever.


In search of antique violins (2003) : From Boston MA ...	... to Amsterdam, The Netherlands ...	... Freiburg, Germany ...	... Pretoria, S. Africa (where a musical dog listens with growing concern).


Markneukirchen, Germany: Over 400 violin-makers worked here before WWII. Some fine antiques originated here.	By 1998, Markneukirchen had only 14 violin-makers. However, more are moving in with the support of the government.	Formerly called Schoenbach, Luby (in the Czech Republic) mass-produced thousands of "Stradivarius" violins. Even today people are misled by these fakes.	A violin-maker's house in Luby, Czech Republic. Some fine violins are presently made in the Czech Republic.


Dresden produced some fine instruments. Some of these turn up as part of "The Vault Collection" .	Berlin: Some violin-making companies, such as Neuner & Hornsteiner, had workshops in Mittenwald, Berlin and St Petersburg (Russia).	Budapest: Hungary has produced some great makers, such as the viola-maker Erdesz. Currently there are fine workshops producing excellent instruments.	Cracow: In modern Poland there are some excellent small workshops and varnish shops making outstanding yet affordable instruments.


Jan inspects a varnish job in progress in an associated American varnish shop.	Various colored varnishes in the special varnish room of a workshop associated with Gainesville Violins.	Jan discusses the finishing of a cello that has been custom varnished for him.


Mittenwald in Bavaria: The violinmaking center of Germany and home of the State University for Violinmaking.	If 40% of a violin is made in Germany, it is legal to call the violin "German made". Many modern German violins actually start in China!	On the Karwendel mountain at Mittenwald. Mittenwald is also a famous ski and fresh air resort town.	Klotz started the violin-making industry in Mittenwald. His statue is in front of the church.	A Klotz violin. (Fakes abound.) Jacob Stainer worked in nearby Absam (near Innsbruck, Austria). Once again, fakes abound.


	TOP ROW: Many vintage and antique European violins are kept off-premises. The finest of these violins will become part of Gainesville Violins's "Vault Collection" - for details, see the "Catalog" page on the present website. LEFT: Every month, some of these violins will be selected to be restored and brought into the Gainesville Violins retail shop.

Many outstanding
violins are currently
made in China. Here
is Scott Cao in his
California workshop.

German law states that if 40% of a violin is made in Germany, it may be labelled a "German" violin. Many (most?) modern German violins
stem from China.

Beijing is
proud of its excellent violinmaking workshops.

Carving a top.

Snippets from an article "Made in China"
(The Strad, May 2005, pages 42-47):

"The wood-carving of these people is as good
as any in the world. In fact, I call it exquisite." (Christophe Landon, NY maker and dealer).

"German instruments became too expensive and are made by machines. Chinese violins
are all handmade." (Carol Johnson of Johnson String Instruments in Massachusetts.)

Inserting purfling.

"Many violins bear a German name, even though they have been made in other countries. Also, a certain brand name may be given to violins made by different workshops - or a single brand name may be used for violins with components from three different countries, which are assembled in a fourth, varnished in a fifth, and shop-adjusted by the dealer. So brand names do not often tell much about the instrument's origins." - Hugo Pinksterboer Tipbook Violin & Viola page 118 (2001).

Of course some violins that emanate from China are really cheap and of
poor quality, the same as some violins from any other country. Accordingly,
Gainesville Violins sets criteria, lays down specifications and does careful
quality control of all violins made for it. Jan regularly meets with makers
and suppliers to discuss his specifications and their instruments. Only
the best are selected and then further worked in Jan's workshop. All

instruments from Gainesville Violins carry a lifetime guarantee re quality

of materials and workmanship. (See also the "Workshop" page .)

BEWARE OF CHEAP INTERNET INSTRUMENTS!

See the "Catalog" page on this website.

"ALL-STATE", TAMPA FL 2004

Anna and Jan travel a lot to various locations to serve their customers. Early in
January each year, they go to All-State in Tampa FL where they assist musicians in emergencies and where they introduce their instruments to would-be customers and teachers. Here is the story of one rescue operation:

Albert Fernandez, an old friend from southern Florida, was in the All-State Orchestra in Tampa in January 2004 (which is a huge honor). However, he accidentally dropped his violin and the fingerboard came off. Jan loaned him one of Gainesville Violins's fine violins for free to use in the orchestra and then let him take it home pending the fixing of his violin. Back in Gainesville, Jan did a complete restoration of Albert's violin.

Afterwards, Albert wrote:

Albert and Jan (picture taken 2003).

"A thousand thank-you's for helping me in my time of need! You have returned my violin in phenomenal condition. When I first opened the alligator case I would've never believed it to be my own violin sitting right in front of my eyes. Thank you so much for working on my violin. Your generosity and altruism will not be forgotten in my book. I have played on my fixed violin and it sounds better than ever.... Hope to stop by Gainesville and see both of you some time! Sincerely, Albert Fernandez."

"STATE", JACKSONVILLE FL 2004

In May each year, Anna and Jan go to the "State" (Florida Federation of Music CLubs) contest in Jacksonville FL where
they assist musicians in emergencies. They also introduce their instruments to would-be customers and teachers there.

Here are a few pictures from the
2004 event:

Anna with part of the G Violins instruments display.

Very keen
little Chris
Derrico visits
Anna and Jan.

Alex Constantinescu, winner of the
case give-away.

"ALL-STATE", TAMPA FL 2005

Once again Gainesville Violins had a booth at this annual event. New products that were
offered for the first time by Gainesville Violins drew a lot of attention and interest: Three
modern Italian violins from Cremona, selling for under $10,000 (two were sold), top-quality pernambuco bows (almost sold out), fine and rare antique German and French violins
from "The Vault Collection" (sold out), new top-of-the-line violins in the Panis Angelicus
series (several sold), the new line of fine professional-quality Krystian Schaf violins under
$5,000 and custom-made professional violas by Sean Peak of Chicago ($4,000-$6,000)
... to mention just a few hot items. These new items are featured on the "Catalog", "Italians"
and "Bows" pages of this website.


Lots of old friends visited. Here are Jacob Keith and Alex Johnson. Since 2006, Jacob works with Jan.		Players loved just to hang out and play at the Gainesville Violins booth.


Caitlin Pequignot loved the "Hellier" Stradivarius replica. She bought a fine and rare antique from Jan.	Jacob Keith kept on telling how much he likes his "Hellier" Strad and how many compliments he gets on its looks and sound.		Crystal Duval, an old customer and friend from Tallahassee, was a welcome visitor.


Jason Jerald, viola teacher in Tampa, helped students select violas.	Cello teacher Mike Sedloff (Lakeland) with Anna.	Tricia Hardy, teacher at Rochelle School of the Arts, Lakeland, loves her Panis Angelicus violin.


Conrad Dunn, former asst. concertmaster, Texas Chamber Orchestra, loved the Italian violins: "Like butter", he kept saying.	An old customer and friend, Miriam Barfield (viola) from Tallahassee, with Anna.	Alan Hudson, orchestra director of Coral Reef Senior High in Miami, could not stop playing, he liked the cello so much.


Steffen Zeichner, old friend and customer from Gainesville.	John Henry Kruer, old friend and customer from Jacksonville, liked the Italian violins a lot.	Matt Tosca in ecstacy, carried away by the tone of a fine Italian violin.

"STATE", JACKSONVILLE FL 2005

Once again, Anna and Jan went to the "State" (Florida Federation of Music CLubs) contest in Jacksonville FL where they assisted string players in emergencies. (There were several!)

They also displayed violins and violas, of which many were sold, especially the Italians and the antiques.

Lots of visitors stopped by to try out fine instruments
and bows.

On display was a group of very fine and rare antique violins.

See the "Catalog"
page on this website
for more info on
"The Vault Collection".

WE SALUTE GLEN SMERAGE ...

Glen Smerage from Gainesville FL, now living in Santa Fe NM with his wife Barbara, has for many years been a major force on the music scene in Gainesville. A few years ago the local Foundation for the Promotion of Music named him "Musician of the Year".

Glen Smerage as many
will remember him (2005).

Glen with some Youth
Ensemble members (2005).

Glen served with distinction as a Board member of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra. As impresario, coach and accompanist, he untiringly served the regular Stellar Students concerts, the Gainesville Youth Ensembles program and the Foundation for the Promotion of Music, to name just a few.

ABOVE: Being a Renaissance man, Glen (as well as Barbara) is a food and wine connoisseur, a lover of ski slopes, a Wagner fan going to see the Ring Cycle in Seattle, Chicago and New York, and a writer of sensible letters to the Gainesville Sun (which is a rare gift!).

Respecting, appreciating and admiring Glen very much, Gainesville Violins has always sought to support his work financially where possible. Glen wrote (email 2005): "Jan & Anna: Thank you for your continued interest, support and publicity. You are much appreciated."

LEFT: Glen bicycled to work for 40 years, never using his car.

TAMPA BAY YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

The Tampa Bay Youth Orchestras, Tampa FL, invited Gainesville Violins to spend a
day with them in January 2005 in their magnificent new Patel Conservatory building.

Anna and Jan were able to meet the kids and teachers, do on-the-spot repairs for free,
provide some fine instruments for purchase and for rent and in general just had a
wonderful time. Gainesville Violins is always available to travel to orchestras,
schools and studios to offer their services there.


Patel Conservatory signboard.		Unloading at the Tampa Performing Arts Center.

Anna with Denise Travers, former Executive Director, Tampa Bay Youth Orchestras.		Phoebe Stierhoff trying out a fine and rare antique Jerome Thibouville Lamy French violin.

Always more to come ... watch this page!