Make your own instrument with Guillaume Kessler, violin maker in Strasbourg

Guillaume Kessler, luthier d'art, invites you to share a unique moment with him in his workshop. First of all, you'll be introduced to the art of violin making, where theory meets practice. You'll be able to put on an apron and take the tools in your hand to experience, for half a day, the work that a violin maker does on a violin.

On the program, you'll not only learn how to assemble all the parts that make up an instrument, but also how to understand all the issues involved in sound and assembly.

For just a few hours, come and experience what it's like to become a violin maker. You'll be able to immerse yourself in the world of the workshop, holding in your hands the tools, woods and materials that Guillaume Kessler uses on a daily basis.

Thanks to Guillaume Kessler's expertise, you'll work on a very important subject: violin assembly. You'll be given an instrument on which you'll carry out a complete assembly for the duration of the session. You'll assemble the fourteen parts that make up the instrument under the guidance and expert advice of luthier Guillaume Kessler.

Here are the various stages in the program Guillaume proposes for assembling your instrument:

• Measuring, determining and marking the placement of the various components.
• Installation and lubrication of pegs.
• Fitting the core inside the violin.
• Knob installation.
• Securing the tailpiece and turnbuckles.
• Progressive stringing with bridge adjustment.
• Inspection and lubrication of string passages.
• Tuning the violin and stabilizing the tension.