Meet Frank Daniels

Frank's Fiddles was started when Frank Daniels retired from 30 years of federal service and began pursuing his dream of making violins.  The seed for making instruments was planted at an early age as Frank's father, Sam Daniels, made 156 instruments.

It was many years later when Frank decided to try his hand at making instruments.  Frank had the privilege of making one fiddle with his father over a 3-year period in the 1980s, but basically learned to make instruments by reading, attending workshops, experimenting, and through lots of trial and error.

Throughout the year, Frank and his wife, Karen, travel around the country to bluegrass festivals and other music events where they can be found vending Frank's instruments and accessories.

At festivals you may find Frank working on a new instrument and sharing his knowledge with others.  Pictured to the right is a young man Frank met at a festival in LaGrange, Georgia.  This young man was thoroughly intrigued and spent quite a bit of time with Frank observing his work and asking questions.

Frank feels so fortunate that each day he is getting to do something he thoroughly enjoys whether it is making instruments or traveling around meeting great people.  Making the instruments provides Frank a great deal of satisfaction, but hearing his instruments played by accomplished players is "the icing on the cake".  Frank gladly shares his passion for making fiddles with young students in the hopes they will have a greater appreciation for their instruments.  Who knows, one of them may choose to become a stringed instrument maker one of these days!!

If you are interested in learning more about violin making, Frank belongs to a couple of organizations that he has found to be most helpful.  These are the Violin Makers Association of Arizona, Intl. (VMAAI) and the Southern California Association of Violin Makers (SCAVM).

The members of these two organizations willingly share their knowledge about violin, viola, cello, and bow making.  The VMAAI offers a 4-week violin making workshop in Tucson in May each year that is taught by Ed Campbell.  The SCAVM has a new 3-week violin making workshop taught by Michael Darnton that will be held in Claremont, California in June.  Check the above links for more information.

Frank, hard at work in the shop

Frank & Karen in their booth at Bakersfield, California in 2006

Young man watching frank at a festival in LaGrange, Georgia

Frank out getting some fiddle wood