Before buying, the only thing for certain at the moment is that I think you're great, Rhiannon, and I want to buy a fiddle from you (despite our discovery that the import duties/taxes will amount to almost a quarter of the final price!!)
Your approach is so honest and open which contrasts greatly with the opaqueness of others in the trade!
My lovely wife Heather spent almost 2 hrs devouring your website last night. I have every confidence that this will be a perfect fiddle for my remaining years as a regularly performing fiddler.
[UPDATE: Jan 7, 2023]
Hurray, Hurray, Hurray!!!! The Messiah Kowalski is here and I'm/we are over the moon!
As I think I might have said along the way, we wanted to check out two main properties of the sound - "sophistication" and "will it sound raw and new" (not according to the sound clips you posted but you never know... until the instrument is under the chin) - as the sound clips suggest it is smooth and silvery!!!
It is a wonderful match to my wife's violin - similar tone, and loud enough for her to hear what I'm doing without being overpowered.
[UPDATE: Jan 21, 2023]
I have just put the Messiah to bed properly for the first time since it arrived...
I have bought 4 bench fiddles at around the £6,000 to £8,000 mark over the years, but never before have I had one so refined from the get-go.
What we have is a fiddle with a self-assured, rounded creaminess - no hint of that new fiddle rawness that requires a couple of years playing in, and certainly not a 'now' fiddle with that big open (but rather hollow) sound.
I'll certainly be letting the world know how pleased we are via your website etc. With massive, grateful hugs,
[UPDATE: Jan 22, 2023]
The fiddle continues to grow in stature and is so surefooted and sumptuous!
[UPDATE: Jan 23, 2023]
This afternoon we had a 3 hr. session with a great 83 year-old local mouthie (mouth organ) player who has been immersed in this music (fiddles and pipes) since childhood.
At the start of the afternoon he said it was a 'good sounding' fiddle' - halfway through he said it 'sounded really nice' the when we finished he said 'what a great fiddle'!! We have played together on and off for 15 years or so in this set up but have never sounded better!
[UPDATE: Jan 25, 2023]
The Kowalski... is singing magnificently.
I'm knocked out by the degree of resonance - not just in the obvious, expected places (fingered G, D and A) but in other associated notes the first finger E on the D string for example...
[REVIEW: Google, 5 stars] I have played fiddle for over forty years and bought (and sold on - usually at a loss) a wide variety of instruments from improver level to bench-made instruments.
In all these 40 years I have never come across anyone as helpful, patient, enthusiastic and knowledgeable as Rhiannon!
In October last year I gave my lovely Tarquin Bolton violin to my son in the erroneous belief that I could see out my final years (I'm 74) with a lesser instrument.... after 3 months I began the search for an instrument which would match the Bolton fiddle!
What won me over to Fiddleheads against the UK competition was the complete transparency of approach and detail on the Fiddleheads site.
I'm now the proud and delighted owner of a Kowalski Strad model which, as it happens, matches my wife's violin more closely in tone and expression and upped the overall effect of our duets. She can barely believe that an instrument only months old could have such a mature and beautiful voice!!
I have no hesitation whatsoever in giving a 5 star review to Rhiannon, her business and this amazing Kowalski violin.
[UPDATE: Feb 5, 2023]
I should have emailed much sooner but the fact is I've been besotted with this gem of a fiddle, and I've played it lots for lots of people; the comments are consistently along the lines of 'what a lovely sounding fiddle'.
As I've explained before I am not the best fiddler in the world, but am privileged to play alongside some excellent fiddlers and this fiddle allows me to add a beautiful, full, creamy sound to the mix.
After all these years of searching I have found my perfect instrument!
A thousand thanks again for your amazing patience and wonderful encouragement.
[UPDATE: Feb 14, 2023]
I'm besotted by this violin - stunning looks, stunning sound. My wife has a beautiful violin with a £30,000 sound, and this Kowalski matches it.
[UPDATE: May 7, 2023]
Just to say the Kowalski continues to develop and delight.
If I had the money I'd buy the lot off you, and give them to my friends to play- what a glorious sound that would be!!!!
Love and thanks, xx