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Active in the ‘British Violin Making Association’ (BVMA) since its founding in 1995 Kai-Thomas was its chairman from 2002-04 and organiser of its Dartington Conferences for many years. He has remained active in the association and is now particularly involved in its small courses scheme
Kai-Thomas makes bowed stringed instruments to modern, transitional and baroque specifications, including viols and double basses.
His reputation for cellos, upward of 100 of which are being played in concert halls the world over, is virtually unrivaled in the United Kingdom.
A wide choice of models already exists for most instruments but new research will be undertaken to customers’ wishes. Any favoured original can be used as the basis for the instrument to be made.
He has experimented with more unusual designs such as ‘five-string cello’, both modern and in period set up, five-string viola, viola d’amore, three-string double bass and double bass tuned in fifths, as well as no longer common sizes of period instruments.
Customers benefit from Kai-Thomas’s expertise in sound adjustment and set up to suit the individual artist.
Specialising exclusively in making bowed stringed instruments all experience and expertise gained since 1986 are concentrated on the manufacture of these artifacts.
For that reason Kai-Thomas neither has a shop nor employees and he does not deal in old instruments or undertake restorations.
This puts him among the few makers who immerse themselves completely in creating instruments.
