Guy Aubrey Griffin, one of Australia's best-known and highly respected violinmakers and repairers, was originally from England, having been born in Birmingham in 1878. Throughout his life he remained an intensely private man, keeping very much in the background. Consequently there is little information about him in general and about his early life in particular.

It is known, however, that he came to Australia as a young man early in the 1920's and settled in Sydney where he studied under and later worked with A.E. Smith. He was, as Pondras notes in his Dictionary of Violin Makers, "a credit to his master's tuition," becoming Smith's chief repairer and producing several instruments of first-class quality.

Griffin customarily followed the Stradivarius and Guarnerius models, his F Holes and middle bouts especially, being, in Henley's words, "typically Guamerian." The oil varnish, which Griffin used, was one of his own preparations, the colour of which ranged from light yellow/brown to a reddish-orange.

His best instruments have come to be highly regarded by professional musicians, producing as they do a brilliant orchestral tone, although many have found their way into private collections and are no longer heard. Unfortunately, in later life Griffin became increasingly eccentric and more prolific in his output, and his standards declined somewhat. However, he has left a fine legacy, both in a number of excellent instruments and in his many children, all of which he trained to be good string players.

A particular GRIFFIN VIOLIN which appeared in our shop more than 20 years ago did not seem to belong to the continental school of making, but was sturdily masculine. The varnish was singular both in color - a golden yellow with the merest undertone of lambency - and makeup - being Griffin's own special recipe with a base mixture of oil and spirit varnish. The wood was carefully chosen and the grains were all fine.