author
Walter H. (Walter Henry) Mayson
1835–1904
A self-taught English violin maker from Manchester, he also wrote a practical guide that opened the craft of violin making to a wider audience. His work sits at the meeting point of skilled handwork, musical curiosity, and late Victorian instruction.
1 Audiobook
Violin Making 'The Strad' Library, No. IX.
by Walter H. (Walter Henry) Mayson
About the author
Born in 1835 near Manchester, Walter H. Mayson was an English violin maker best known for building stringed instruments and for sharing his methods in print. He is associated especially with Manchester and later published Violin Making, a clear, practical book on the craft.
Mayson was a notably prolific maker, and his name has remained of interest to musicians, collectors, and readers of instrument-making manuals. His writing stands out for turning specialist knowledge into something approachable, which helps explain why Violin Making continued to circulate long after its original publication.
He died in 1904. Although he is remembered first as a maker rather than a literary figure, his book gives modern readers a direct glimpse into the working world of a craftsman who wanted to explain how violins were made.