A440 Violin Shop

11/22/2025

Roscoe Street was named one of the coolest streets in the world by Time Out, and we are proud to be right in the middle of it. After 40 years on the block, it still feels special every day.

https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/this-chicago-thoroughfare-is-one-of-time-outs-coolest-streets-in-the-world-111925

09/09/2025

Early fall sunlight doing justice to this Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume varnish. As beautiful as it looks, it's the sound that steals the show: colorful and resonant, rich depth and texture, and shockingly responsive. What any player dreams of.

06/27/2025

A lovely del Gesu copy made by Leo Aschauer in 1935 in Mittenwald, Germany. Aschauer had a long tenure as director of the Mittenwald School of Violin Making beginning in 1923.

What is especially meaningful for us is the connection between Mittenwald and Chicago. Tsu Ho Lee, founder of the Chicago School of Violin Making, studied in Mittenwald in the 1960s and possibly trained under Aschauer or his close colleagues. That Mittenwald influence runs deep. Many Chicago area luthiers, including everyone on our team, were trained in that same tradition at the Chicago School of Violin Making.

05/15/2025

VL Schwenk, Chicago – 1954

Made here in Chicago and photographed against another local classic: Chicago common brick. Both are full of character and a little rough around the edges in the best possible way. No factory. No school. Just one maker, building violins his way.

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04/24/2025

🎻 Lawrence LaMay, 1968
A lovely fiddle from the Midwest, made in 1968 by Lawrence LaMay of Madison, Wisconsin. After training in Chicago and Indianapolis, LaMay went on to craft around 200 instruments over his career—including violins, violas, cellos, and a few basses.

This one has a clear, focused sound with no shortage or power.

04/22/2025

This 2000 Quintus cello is made of carbon fiber and built for adventure—whether you're gigging lakeside or putting your trust in airport baggage handlers.

Warm, resonant, and virtually indestructible. Perfect for traveling musicians, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone who's tired of babying their instrument like it's made of sugar glass.

Play it—you just might fall in love with the cello that doesn’t care if you left it in the car. 🌊 🎻 🚗

04/15/2025

Why stop at four when you can have five?
This 5-string double bass by Luciano Golia (2022) brings serious low-end power and a rich, resonant tone—perfect for players looking to expand their range and turn some heads (especially in the cello section).

04/04/2025

🎻 Small part, big impact.
This Belgian-style cello bridge isn’t just elegant — it’s essential. A well-fit bridge shapes your tone, response, and how your instrument feels under your hands.
We fit and carve each bridge by hand, custom to the instrument it’s going on, so it sounds and plays its best.

🛠 Expert setups since 1982

03/27/2025

We hear this question all the time—"What are those weird-looking instruments next to the cellos?" 🤔

Meet the viola da gamba! Though it looks similar, it’s not part of the violin family. Instead, it comes from the viol family, a Renaissance and Baroque favorite. With six or seven strings, frets like a guitar, and tuning in fourths, it has a warm, expressive sound that once filled royal courts.

While gambas date back to the 15th century, these beauties are modern recreations, made within the last 50 years. Stop by and check them out! 🎶✨

03/20/2025

By analyzing key hallmarks of its construction method—such as the corner miters set into the back plate—we can confidently attribute this violin to the 18th-century French school, regardless of its facsimile Italian label. Combined with dendrochronology results matching multiple 18th-century French instruments, we can place its construction in mid-to-late 1740s France.

The violin's wood is strikingly similar to that used by Salomon, Gaffino, Guersan, Castagneri, Carcassi, and Louis Guersan, among others—many of which also carry Italian facsimile labels!

01/23/2025

Check out our long-time friend and client, Dennis Carroll, rocking out with his band DC and the Love! Seeing him sharing his musical talent with the world is always a joy. Watch their performance at Martyrs here:

DC & The Love perform “TWB” live in Chicago at Martyrs. Music and lyrics by Dennis Carroll.Mar Villaseca - VocalsGreg Ward - Alto SaxDennis Carroll - BassLee...

11/20/2023

Roberta Guastafeste 1929-2023

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Roberta Guastafeste, the founder of A440 Violin Shop. Bobbie was a great friend and mentor to many people. She was also a first-rate cellist and teacher, a talented painter, and an amazing chef. Bobbie loved nature, especially mountains, and she traveled the world to see most of the great mountain ranges. Her greatest joy came from being a Mom and a Grandmother.

A celebration of her life will be announced in early 2024.