A Renaissance man in Melbourne

Above: The view in Martin Paul’s West Melbourne violin repair workshop. Photo: Anna Encio

Words: Dan Dwyer

Martin Paul is a classically trained violinist turned luthier repairing and selling stringed instruments from his West Melbourne workshop. His studio is a refuge from the modern world. Should you stroll past on Victoria Street, chances are, you’ll see Martin working in his large street-facing window, immersed in north- facing natural light. Martin’s collection of vintage tools line the wall behind  him, and his assortment of restored wall-mounted instruments sit front and back, some dating to the 18th century.

I arrived to see Martin working on a violin bridge and sound post set-up. He handed me a violin as classical music tingled over dappled light. I peered through the F-holes and saw a beautiful, hand-printed paper label: John Smith, Falkirk, Scotland,
the name of a previous luthier. In fact, this violin had been sold by the previous owner of Martin’s shop, a decade ago, and was now back for repair, a homecoming of sorts.

The violin’s all-important sound is heavily dependent on the sound post, a small, dowel-like cylinder traditionally made from solid spruce that sits vertically inside the instrument. The sound post acts as a conduit, transferring vibrations, and therefore sound, throughout the whole instrument.

All in order: vintage and modern tools for luthiery. Photo: Martin Paul

Martin completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours at Monash. But his real start as a luthier came when he fell under Brenton Fyfield’s tutelage. Brenton, who founded the business in 1986 in Richmond, took on Martin who initially started with restringing and doing set-up work, before developing an interest in repair. Martin was uniquely placed for this work due to his violinist background. Brenton arranged for Martin to complete his one- year violin repair apprenticeship at Newark in the English Midlands under luthier John Gosling. The master apprentice succession is now complete – Martin has owned the business for four years.

Martin explained that violins are traditionally made with spruce tops, maple backs, ribs and necks. I watched as he used a spur-shaped tool to set the sound post with the help of a brass gauge. The Z-shape of the tool allows access to the inside of the violin via the F-holes to set the sound post in position between the top and back plates. The sound post is held under pressure, not glued. This requires readjustment over time – a job Martin is frequently called upon to do.

As I stood, bathed in natural light in Martin’s wood-panelled workshop, I wondered that such a shop could still exist in our disposable, post-industrial society. But Martin is busier than ever. In fact, he never stopped working during my entire visit. And little wonder, as there are only two or three other shops in Melbourne who can undertake similar repairs.

Martin’s archetier or bowmaker lives a rather idyllic life in Tasmania. Paul Shields makes his much sought after bows from Brazillian pernambuco wood, including ebony frogs inlaid with pearl eyes. He makes the entire bow by hand, including the silverwork which is found on the tip and the frog. Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinate) is now protected, being the national tree of Brazil. But don’t fret, Paul is sitting on a well-humified stash of the rare Brazilian hardwood for many bows to come.

Martin showed me around his workshop. In one glass wall-mounted  cabinet, he pulled down a Benjamin Banks violin from the 1790s that was part of his collection for sale. It was engraved with ‘B.B’, below the chin- rest, near the end-button.

The flame of the maple projected through the varnish, still gorgeous hundreds of years since leaving the original luthiers’ workshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire. The ‘flame’ in the maple is highlighted through the varnish. The layers must be applied under natural light to ensure the right contrast is created. And it’s varnish work that Martin enjoys most, as repairing it employs traditional painting techniques using ground pigments.

There was one question I was dying to ask Martin. ‘There’s something I’ve got to ask...have you ever had a...’‘ ...Stradivarius?’, said Martin without looking up from his bridge work. We both laughed. ‘Not yet, but we’ve had an Amati, made by one of the fathers of violin making.’

Martin Paul: ‘A renaissance man quietly working away in his West Melbourne window.’ Photo: Anna Encio

Martin’s clients include professional players and international buyers who are looking for their lifetime instrument. A bit like finding a spouse, really. Often, the most challenging repair work is patching in new wood to a damaged instrument. First, for a crack in the sound post area of the top plate, Martin will remove the plate from the instrument, clean the crack and glue it level. He will then take a plaster cast mould of the plate to support the curve and shape while he carves out a small section of the damaged area. Lastly, he will cut a little bit of spruce, shape it to fit the damaged section and offset the grain a little for strength, before gluing it in – this is all quite precise work.

I really enjoyed meeting Martin. A renaissance man quietly working away in his West Melbourne window. In the current age of specialisation, Martin is a paradigm of capability, using hand and eye to take a compromised instrument and not only restore it to play, but honour those master luthiers before him— with grace.

First published in Australian Wood Review, issue 122, March 2024

Dan Dwyer is a New Zealand based woodworker and contributor to Australian Wood Review magazine.