About us
Instruments Violin Schönbach
Established in 2021, Violin-Schönbach draws directly on a rich family tradition of violin making.
The Sandner-Lupač-Skála family has been making violins in the world-famous Schönbach region, now Luby in the Czech Republic, for over a century.
The first luthier in the family was Josef Sandner in the early 20th century, followed by his son-in-law Emil Lupač, succeeded in turn by his son-in-law Tomáš Skála Sr. and grandson Tomáš Skála Jr., who gave the family business its current form: Violin-Schönbach.
Supported by this family history, our instruments are of the highest quality, easily comparable with those from renowned master luthiers, yet at affordable price points. We are happy to build custom instruments to meet our customers’ needs.
Today we make high-end concert instruments, primarily 4/4 (full size), modeled on those by Stradivari and Guarneri.
Our instruments are hand-lacquered with (alcohol-based) spirit lacquer, available in several colors and with a variety of accessories. We use mature, annealed maple wood harvested exclusively in Bosnia and Herzegovina and spruce wood harvested in the Austrian Alps or in Slovakia. Our customers enjoy a warranty period of about 20 years that applies to the instrument itself, not including mechanical damage.
All our violins are hand-made from resonance wood. The top plate is made of spruce wood from the Austrian Alps and Slovakia. The back plate, neck and ribs are made of annealed maple wood harvested in the former Yugoslavia, now Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The fingerboard and overall assembly of the instrument uses ebony from South America or India with decorative eyelets on the tuning pegs and tailpiece. The bridge is French style and of the highest quality. We most often use Thomastik Dominant strings from Austria for an excellent, clear sound.
Our instruments are hand-lacquered with spirit lacquer. Violins are available in a variety of high-gloss shades. Our instruments stand out for their tonal maturity and impeccable craftsmanship.
Customers picking up their instruments in person can choose the strings, assembly and final adjustments.
The warranty on our instruments is valid for 20 years, but does not extend to mechanical damage.
Our violins are modeled on those by Stradivari and Guarneri.