Mark Langdale Hough

                     Luthier

 Maker and restorer of fine violins, violas, and cellos

Gold Label Instruments

In addition to my standard instruments, which use wood and fittings of professional level quality, I offer a special Gold Label level of violin and viola. My Gold Label instruments use specially sourced wood over 150 years old and the finest crafted boxwood fittings. They are adjusted for tone over a period of months to ensure the finest playing experience. I make only one Gold Label instrument per year, and they are for the most discriminating of players.

Philosophy of Sound

Sound adjusting is one of my passions as a maker and a restorer. Just as players enjoy shaping individual phrases and sections of a piece, I love shaping the sound that comes from each register of an instrument. I feel that a great stringed instrument should have a core tone and range of color that allows a musician to easily interpret music without feeling hampered. 

I don't feel that there's any one "perfect" tone for an instrument, just as I don't feel there is any one perfect player. Choosing a violin and adjusting its sound should be, rather, a perfect meshing of two personalities: yours and your instrument's. 

Please contact me if you would like to experience the sound of one of my instruments in your hands, or to fine-tune one of your own.

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” -Goethe