A strong tone, providing powerful projection and clarity, this violin from master American maker Todd Matus is a fine example of American making at an affordable price.

Labeled:
Joachim 215
Todd Matus
Indianapolis *signed to the label* anno 2016

Back Length: 357mm
Upper Bout: 168mm
Center Bout: 116mm
Lower Bout: 207mm

The back is of two pieces of maple cut on the quarter of medium width flame extending downward from the center joint. The ribs and scroll are of similar maple. The top is of two pieces of spruce cut on the quarter of fine width grain widening slightly at the flanks. The varnish is red-orange over a golden ground.

Todd Matus was the President and master maker of Consort International, the makers of Sofia Violins, until 2022. Todd gained all of his experience in the shop, starting in 1988. He has had the good luck to work intensively with several excellent and highly schooled makers: Alexander Leyvand in Indianapolis, Peter Tsetanov in Bulgaria, and Bruno Stefanini in Italy.

Matus has been making his own instruments (43 violins, 2 violas and 7 cellos to date) since 1996, using his experience producing several thousand fine production instruments. Todd has heard the results of many design and wood variations, building a deep understanding of how to consistently create open, even, loud, and sonorous instruments. Todd makes violins based on several patterns, including, the Joachim Strad, the Titian Strad, Guadagnini, Pollastri, and Guarneri 'del Gesu'.

Todd is a serious student and researcher in the physics of the violin, having studied at the VSA Acoustics workshop from 2006-2015. His papers Experiments with Physical-Etch Treatment of Spruce Violin Tops and What I Learned in the Production Violin Business were published in the VSA Papers, 2010 and the VSA Journal, 2014 respectively.
Todd is also a noted Photographer and writer. He was twice nominated for the National Award in the Visual Arts, and has had numerous exhibitions of his work. His exhibition Broken Views at the University of Delaware, and the book Broken Views; a document of Eastern Europe, 1989-1997 contains photographs and stories of Eastern Europe from the Communist period through the development of nascent democracies, all while developing the violin atelier in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Relevant Publications by Todd Matus;
Broken Views; a document of Eastern Europe, 1989-1997
Experiments with Physical-Etch Treatment of Spruce Violin Tops. VSA Papers 2010
What I Learned in the Production Violin Business, VSA Journal, 2014

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