French Violin Makers
Bachelier (Jean-Gaspard). – Paris, rue de la Tissanderie, in 1777. Place Baudoyer, near Saint-Gervais, from 1783 to 1789.
Barbey (Guillaume). – Paris, 1717. Of which there is a six-stringed "viola a gambe" in the Brussels museum:
Bassot (Joseph). – Paris, c. 1764-1810. Elegant instrument making. Lupot style. Amber-red varnish. Initially located at Quinze-Vingts, he settled at 1 rue Chabannais in 1788:
Baton. – Versailles, early 18th century . He is said to have made hurdy-gurdies with old guitars, and with the bodies of lutes and theorbos.
Belleville. – Paris, 1828. Author of a violin of new cut, but not very graceful, which is in the museum of the Conservatoire, in Paris [337] .
Bigourat. – Le Havre, 19th century . Son of the preceding. Like his father, he mainly carried out repairs.
Bongars (Simon). – Known for a six-stringed bass viol belonging to M. de Bricqueville, in Versailles.
Bourlier. – Mirecourt, 1820. Ordinary violin making. He mainly made quarter, half and three-quarter size violins.
Brubac (Antoine). – Mirecourt, 1847 + 1894. A skilled craftsman who made all the instruments signed by M.A. Klein, in Rouen. Charles Brubac, his brother, a skilled luthier, has worked for twenty-seven years in the workshops of M. Gustave Bernardel.