About Us

Hansell Violins, under the leadership of Roger Hansell, have been making prestigious instruments since 1987. This small company expanded in 1993 to its current premises in Leyburn in the beautiful North Yorkshire Dales where violins, violas and ‘cellos are made and we are also uniquely equipped to make superb instrument fittings, all beautifully hand finished.

Roger Hansell, is a renowned British Luthier. His reputation has developed over many years for making exceptional copies of historic instruments. Roger studied Fine Art under Patrick Reyntiens and Cecil Collins at the Central School of Art in London. He was inspired by their teaching which stressed the importance of craftsmanship in art and art in craftsmanship and this principle can be traced throughout his work. After beginning his career in Italy, he has been based in the market town of Leyburn for over thirty years.

Your first contact with Hansell Violins will usually be on the telephone or by email and you will always receive courteous and relevant advice. Instrument making is under the direction of Roger Hansell, whose reputation in this field is second to none.

The fittings makers work under the direction of Georgina Keays, who has many years of experience in every aspect of this work. Matthew Trout works with Georgina to make fittings which are used by discerning luthiers and prestigious violin houses the world over, as well as on our own instruments of course!

The team are supported by our Business Administrator, Jude Newell, who ensures everything is kept up to date for us in the office.

At Hansell Violins, the guiding belief is that everything should be done as beautifully as possible, and everyone involved in the making subscribes to this idea. This short film below gives a little more information about us so please take some time to watch it and learn some more.

Our Vision

We feel that fittings on an instrument are crucially important and the set up should never be compromised by a tailpiece, pegs or any other part being of inappropriate size. We will always make exactly the size of tailpiece that you require; this way the sound of your instruments can be at its optimum.

Our Goals

We will always use the best available materials and aim to provide the best service over our competitors, but not compromise on our friendly and accommodating reputation, we always want to say ‘yes’ to you, the client.

Our Principles

We will always put our client’s wishes first, and try to accommodate them wherever possible. We believe the exact source of wood is becoming more and more of an issue, and we fully support efforts to safeguard the endangered habitats from which it comes. We are investigating native materials in the hopes of finding suitable and beautiful alternatives to endangered species. We make everything here in the workshop using the many specialised tools of the trade.