About Me

Hi there!

My name is Clay Levit. I am a violin builder living on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

I’ve been into stringed instruments most of my life. In 2005 I opened Fiddler’s Green Music Shop in Memphis, Tennessee, selling and repairing acoustic stringed instruments. In 2007, I re-opened Fiddler’s Green in Austin, Texas. During my time running Fiddler’s Green I got into playing Irish fiddle, and eventually tried my hand at making my own fiddles.

I have been building and repairing fiddles since 2015. In 2020 I relocated to the Pacific Northwest and I’m loving it!

I did not take the traditional route of going to violin building school. I am mostly self-taught, although I did take some classes at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute in New Hampshire, and a class at Learning Trade Secrets in Ohio. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with the amazing builder John Cooper in Portland, Maine. During the pandemic I found some wonderful virtual learning opportunities. I am constantly learning through books, videos, and lots of great mistakes!

Since 2023 I have been teaching amateur fiddle building at the BARN on Bainbridge. It stands for Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network and it’s an amazing community of craftspeople and artists of all kinds. Check it out here!

My approach is to respect the past masters and learn what they had to teach but then make my own creations.

So, if you’re looking for pedigreed high-end violins you’re in the wrong place, but if you care about unique and beautiful instruments made with passion and creativity that you will feel exited to play, then you might be in the right place.