Yamaha’s new student and intermediate acoustic violins, AV7 and AV10, were inspired by the work of Joseph Guarneri del Gesu. Before one of these instruments is placed in the hands of a young musician, it first receives the expert attention of the staff of Guarneri House—a distinguished string instrument shop named for the same legendary 18th century Italian violinmaker.

From Kitchen to Castle
Guarneri House, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is owned and run by renowned instrument and bow-maker Steven Reiley. It has earned international acclaim for its work creating and restoring fine string instruments. Basses made by Reiley are currently being played in orchestras around the world, and he has crafted bows for such musical legends as Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Schlomo Mintz.

Steven Reiley, a bass player who holds two degrees from the University of Michigan, is refreshingly frank about Guarneri House’s humble beginnings. As a struggling musician and university student with a young family to support, he began making bows in the kitchen of his family’s mobile home. Although his aim was merely to create a high-quality bow for himself, his craftsmanship was immediately recognized by fellow musicians, and his first efforts were eagerly purchased. “After that, I just happened to fall into great relationships with people,” says Reiley. “Phillip Greenberg, who was studying for his masters in conducting, had a wonderful collection of instruments and bows which I used to

study how great makers worked. I just tried to make them as good, or improve upon them.”

Reiley and Greenberg opened the Guarneri Violin Shop in downtown Grand Rapids in 1978. Several years later, they purchased and restored a 120-year-old Victorian home in the Heritage Hill district. Renamed Guarneri House, the four-level, 10,000-square-foot mansion with 10- and 12-foot ceilings has served as both workplace and residence for the past 20 years.

A Mission Accomplished
Reiley says creating high quality student instruments has been a long-time goal, one he couldn’t fully pursue without a like-minded international manufacturer.  "One of the things I've tried to do at Guarneri House is produce better instruments for the beginning student," he explains.  "I was able to do that, but only on a local basis. When Yamaha approached me, I thought, ‘This is perfect.’ We could ensure that the quality was on the level I’ve always felt it should be, on a much larger scale."

Keeping the high standards of Guarneri House, however, Reiley knew that the instruments would have to be of truly superior quality. His first clue that Yamaha was on the right track was when he learned the violins would be produced in China. “For the last 10 years, I’ve dealt with shops in 

China,” says Reiley. “I was familiar with their  quality. When Yamaha decided on China, I knew it was a great idea —that’s where the craftsmen are today, and we’d be in a position to develop a very good product that Yamaha could be proud of. Yamaha, on a production level, is far ahead of instruments that have been coming into the country since before I was even involved in the business,” says Reiley. “It’s good to see handmade instruments at this price range: that’s
how it was done 100 years ago in Germany, and Yamaha has re-created that today, in China.”

Recruiting experts like Reiley to play a role in the production process is a natural extension of Yamaha’s dedication to offering both professional and student musicians the finest instruments possible. Much as master
designers Bob Malone and Hiroshi Nakajima are now taking Yamaha’s brass and woodwind instruments to new heights, the company now looks to Reiley and Guarneri House to help bring out the best in their new beginner and intermediate violins.

“What Yamaha needed from me was to be sure that the set-up work was done as well as it can be. In the final analysis, the instrument is just a box unless it’s set up properly,” Reiley explains, “meaning that it has the right strings, a proper bridge, a proper soundpost, etc. And then it needs a thorough check before it ever gets out to the buying public. That’s where a shop like ours is crucial.”

Reiley’s son Aaron, who recently joined the Guarneri House team full-time after literally growing up in the business, will oversee set-up work on the AV7 and AV10 violins. The new instruments are being readied for the
product launch and the Guarneri House team will undoubtedly encounter tremendous success. Guarneri del Gesu would surely have approved.

The Guarneri House always takes pride in its craftsmanship, and it shows in every detail. At right: Steven Reiley, president, testing the quality of a bass. Below: Steven McCann, head of restoration, repairing a cello.