In the simplest terms, the type of wood used for quality violin construction was established by the masters more than 300 years ago. Tops (or fronts) are generally made of spruce while backs, sides and necks are made of maple. Linings and end and corner blocks (internal parts) may be made from a variety of woods including; spruce, willow, poplar and others. This all seems simple enough, however, there are many factors affecting the suitability of any particular piece of wood for use in a violin.

Properly grown, harvested, seasoned and prepared woods used for quality violin making are referred to as “tone woods”. Harvesting of high quality tone wood requires expert knowledge, experience and access to highly desirable forests throughout the world. Specific species of the wood (i.e.; Red maple, European Maple, Big Leaf Maple, etc), as well as individual pieces, even from the same log, have different tonal and aesthetic characteristics, the two primary selection criteria for the making of a quality violin.

Shifrin Violins use only the finest tone woods available, specifically harvested and seasoned for quality violin making by experienced experts. We use both European and North American maple and spruce. Each piece of wood is carefully selected for tone and aesthetics, and brought to finished dimensions using our proprietary algorithms and methods, assuring the best possible performance from each individual piece of this very valuable material.

We believe that if you are considering the purchase of a quality violin, you should be confident that quality wood has been used in its construction. Each Shifrin Violin comes with a certification which includes, among other information, the type and source of the wood used in the specific instrument.