Howard Needham Violins Testimonials

As a collector of fine Italian and American violins, the Needham surpasses them all in projection, clarity, warmth and complexity of sound pallet. The Needham tuning method is the Holy Grail of violin making. Congratulations on breaking the code!

In 1986 Howard Needham made me a copy of my Italian cello made by Giuseppe Rocca. I used the cello in the New York Philharmonic until I retired in 2007. It is a great pleasure to own it and I still play it every day.

No instrument in my collection of 13 violins by leading contemporary makers fills our recital hall with a more liquid and elegant sound than my Needham Guarneri model. It is like a recording of a famous violinist on his old-master instrument.

My 2010 Needham violin has been my best musical investment, and I am reminded of it every time I try some big Italian names from the 18th and 19th centuries which just don’t have the clarity, evenness and depth of sound that it has. And most of the 20th century instruments can’t even compare…!

I wasn’t even in the market to buy a violin, but my friend was. When my friend received an ’06 Needham in the mail, I tried it and had to have it!!! The violin had a beautiful, clear and projecting sound. But what really impressed me was that it responded to any and every bow stroke. It made everything so much easier to play. I was so proud of my Needham violin that I would have colleagues in the orchestra try it and their comments were always something like “wow, it makes playing so easy.” I wish I had bought a Needham violin sooner.

Howard Needham’s violins offer effortless projection, a glowing sound, and a subtlety of response, qualities that are rare among new instruments. After a recent concerto performance, many people asked about my 2011 Needham. I was tempted to pass it off as a Strad, but honestly, it was even more fun to see their jaws drop when I told them that the instrument was only six months old!