Background

Tommy Jakobsson, born 1951. Registered firm: "Ton i Trä Instrumentverkstad" since 1/1 1977. Started out as a guitar maker and repair man. Built 1975 - 1990 approx. 50 guitars of all kinds; mostly classical, but also steel stringed and various ethnical instruments such as: Cavaquinho, Quatro, Bandurria, Irish Bozouki etc. Among the customers were some of the most prominent swedish guitarists of that time, such as: Per Skareng, Mats Bergström, Bengt Wikström and others. The career path was split during a violin making course in the summer of 1984 in Mittenwald Germany, where my interest in violin making got a flying start. Due to previously developed skills as a guitar maker, the transition to violin maker went smoothly. Since 1992 I also make and repair bows of all kinds. My skill and sense of style with regards to violin making was honed under the supervision of Josef Kantuscher in Mittenwald. Likewise with regards to bow making, with Gilles Duhaut in his workshop in Tours, France.

Awards

In the first modern violin making contest in Sweden in Ludvika 1989 I participated with 2 violins, which both were awarded a silver diploma.Counting the individual points, my instruments came in 2d & 3rd among over 200 instruments. In 1991 I entered a violin and a viola in "Concours international de lutherie et d'archeterie de la ville de Paris". Participants from all over the world and a very strict sorting made sure that only instruments of a professional level passed the initial round. Both my instruments passed and were exposed in the following exhibition. In 1992 again I participated in the violin making contest in Ludvika, now with a violin and a viola. Both were awarded silver diplomas and came in on 12th and 2d place. In 1998 i entered 2 violins and a viola in the nordic violin making contest in Karlsborg, Sweden. Both violins were awarded diplomas and reached 4th and 6th Place. The viola came in second and recieved a silver medal.