Announcing Our New V. Richelieu Website:
Take a tour and enjoy the new experience of these beautifully crafted instruments!
V. RICHELIEU VIOLINS & VIOLAS
Performance Instruments for Aspiring Soloists - Made in the USA by master craftsmen
How did V. Richelieu get its name?
One of the most common questions we get asked about our Made in Vermont violins is; “why did we call them V. Richelieu?” (“How do you spell that?” takes a close second).
THE V. RICHELIEU EXPERIENCE
We sent out our instruments for evaluation to some of the leading industry professionals. Find out about their experience and hear how the instrument sounds.
made with quality European tonewoods
Fine Instruments build from tonewoods sourced from our favorite foresters of Europe. Swiss and Italian Spruce, Bosnian Maple.
Each V. RICHELIEU™ instrument is uniquely crafted to make each piece of wood sing in full voice.
The instruments are built in Vermont to combine over 80 years of experience with unique hand-graduations and a beautiful hand-painted oil varnish of our own proprietary formulation.
BUILT IN OUR VERMONT WORKSHOP
The instruments are built by the luthiers in our workshops. Each plate is graduated relative to the stiffness and flexibility of the tonewood.
The oil varnish is made and hand-applied by our head luthier. The luthiers building were trained at the Chicago School of Violin Making and the North Benett Street School.
SONOWOOD: THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVE TO EBONY
Ebony, a beautiful natural resource…but also a rare one.. We are proud to use an all-natural, sustainable and beautiful alternative: Sonowood. Made entirely from Spruce and Maple, these boards are strong, visually beautiful and easy to work with in our workshop. Learn more about Sonowood and why we think it is an important part of making better instruments that respect our planet and its vital resources.
AVAILABLE AT THESE FINE SHOPS
If you are close to these shops, we encourage you to visit them.
Call or email them for an appointment to see the V. RICHELIEU™ instruments!
Alexandria, Virginia
703-256-0556
brobstviolinshop@gmail.com
Minneapolis, MN
800-279-4323
cgivens@givensviolins.com
Denver, CO
303-529-6561
denverviolins@gmail.com
Philadelphia, PA
215-438-9031
mountairyviolins@gmail.com
Rochester, NY
585-325-7250
info@sullivanviolins.com
Atlanta, GA
404-876-8617
info@vossviolins.com
PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED FRACTIONAL VIOLAS
Our violas are designed to provide young, passionate violists with an instrument that is a fractional viola, not a modified violin. The wider lower bouts draw out more sound and depth for the lower end of the range than the more common Strad pattern. The slightly shorter string length is proportional to a 16” viola string length rather than a full-size.
SPECIALIZED SET-UPS
The set-ups are designed for dedicated players. High quality, Aubert bridges are carved for each instrument. Wittner geared pegs facilitate tuning and prevent slipping and sticking pegs under the variety of playing conditions students experience. Professional strings, typically Evah Pirazzi, are used. Soundposts are adjusted specially to each instrument to maximize balance and ringing tones.
FLEXIBLE PROGRAM: RENT OR PURCHASE
The V. RICHELIEU™ instruments are available for either rent or purchase. The rental program provides flexibility through either a 3, 6, or 12 month renewable contract which includes a Pernambuco bow and Bam or Revelle case. Optional damage waivers are available. Instruments may be purchased and later traded in toward another Richelieu, or an instrument of greater value by students as they grow or advance in level.