About The Maker
A little note about me. I was born in 1980 in the market town Grantham, Lincolnshire. From about the age of 9 I have been passionate about woodwork and at the first opportunity grabbed one of my father’s chisels that had belonged to his father and started making things. I started with furniture such as coffee tables, stools and paper racks then played around on the lathe. By 12 I was making some stylish tables achieving an A in woodwork at GCSE level an so at 16 the violin was an excellent choice that required a sharp eye, a steady hand and was full of mystery and challenges.
Just 10 miles from my parents home lay the world renowned Newark and Sherwood School of Violin Making. This is where I studied the craft of the violin and it’s family for four years and passed with a Diploma and Merit for making and repair. I started working at what now is the largest violin shop in western Canada, V.A.Hill Fine Strings and then proceeded to work at prestigous Frederick Phelps of London where I refined my making and restoration skills on instruments and also honed my skills of bow repair and rehairing.
In 2004 I started my business and moved to Bristol In 2006. I purchased 6 Chatsworth Road, BS4, a mid Victorian terrace house from where I work and hope to see you soon.
I have also been a member of the British Violin Makers Association for several years now where I am able to display my work at yearly event around the country such as The old Sessions House in Clerkenwell Green London and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
My surname is an interesting one of which I believe to be either French or Portuguese. It has been very difficult to trace back. I do wonder if it was a misspelling of another name as I am commonly mistaken for Gaunt, Gaul, Goat, Gort and Gault. On a recent journey to the Isle of Man I discovered a stone Mason by the name Gaut who had his own Cross Keys design. I have also recently found out Gaut is an old Gallic name meaning forest which in a way seems quite appropriate.
