Belsano man crafts violins to stand the test of time

Jan 12, 2024

Aug 7, 2023

Robert Gordon III tests the tone of a violin he created in his workshop in Belsano, near Ebensburg. Apart from a stint in the U.S. Navy from 1973-79, Gordon has been making violins since the age of 13. Former IUP professor Stanley Chepaitis said Gordon’s instruments are rich and full of sound. “They are beautifully set up in a way that is optimal for the best tone,” he said.Mirror photo by Cati Keith

BELSANO — A former Navy man who served during the Vietnam War has carved a niche for himself, much like the handcarved scrolls he crafts for his violins.

Robert Gordon III is a second-generation luthier, the official title of a violin maker.

As a child, he watched his father create violins, bringing the musical instruments to life from what appeared to be ordinary pieces of wood.

“There was always a shop in the back of the house,” Gordon said, recalling that as a 5-year-old, he would watch his father work, learning the process over the years until, at 13, he made his very first violin.

From then on, the two made the instruments together.

Robert Gordon III creates hand-crafted violins at his workshop in Belsano, near Ebensburg.Mirror photo by Cati Keith

While his father is now deceased, “he has always been my inspiration,” Gordon said.

Gordon served in the Navy from 1973-79 and then returned to the workshop to embrace his love of violin making — and no matter where life took him, there has always been a little violin shop in the back of his house, he said.

To enhance what he learned from his father, Gordon attended the renowned Violin Society of America’s Workshop at Oberlin College, Ohio. There, he learned from acclaimed master makers like Vahakn Nigogosian and Christopher Germain.

“You cannot believe what that has done for me, and for violin making in the United States,” he said, adding he firmly believes America is now home to the best living violin makers in the world.

Precision and care

Violins in various stages of completion hang from the rafters of Robert Gordon’s workshop. Among them are several that Gordon started making when he and his father were working together.Mirror photo by Cati Keith

Crafting a violin is a labor of love that takes precision and care — from selecting the perfect wood to carving the scroll, connecting the bridge and adding the strings.

His violins are born out of deep-seated dedication to the craft. A recently completed Guarneri violin took 20 years to craft, he said.

Not only do his violins look old, they also have a darker sound that matures over time.

Stanley Chepaitis, a former professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said Gordon’s instruments are rich and full of sound.

“They are beautifully set up in a way that is optimal for the best tone,” he said.

Robert Gordon III checks part of a violin he is crafting in his workshop. A single violin can take about 250 hours of work, excluding varnishing.Mirror photo by Cati Keith

Gordon said he listens to people who play the violin, like Chepaitis, who’s been a friend for about 25 years.

While Gordon said his main life’s work has been making violins, he used to repair others’ instruments, and still does on occasion.

The most notable of those would be the violin played by Father Demetrius

Gallitzin.

Prince Gallitzin’s violin, a more than 200-year-old instrument, is mostly kept in the museum at

St. Michael’s Church in Loretto, although it is played at least once a year.

Gina Tusing, who plays with the Johnstown Symphony Community Strings, has been trusted to play Gallitzin’s violin on special occasions and said she only trusts Gordon to help maintain the historic piece.

When she first took over playing Prince Gallitzin’s violin, it required some much-needed maintenance, she said.

Because of the violin’s historic value, Gordon was only allowed to work at the museum and had to bring much of his studio equipment there to restore it.

“He is really the master — he really cares about the violins he’s working on and his customers,” Tusing said.

Not only did he restore Gallitzin’s violin, he saved Tusing’s as well.

Tusing, who moved to the area from a warmer climate, said one cold and snowy day, she opened the case to find her violin in pieces.

“It had never been exposed to cold weather like that,” she said.

She frantically called Gordon for help, and he agreed to work on it even though it was a Saturday.

“He did such a beautiful job making it look like it did before,” Tusing said.

Hundreds of hours

With more than 40 violins under his belt, along with a few violas, Gordon said he now aims to create six violins each year.

Hundreds of hours are poured into each piece, he said, noting that one will take about 250 hours to complete, without counting the varnish.

Putting on the bridge wraps up two to four weeks of work, he said, but that’s not the end of the process. It takes about 100 hours of playing for the sound to settle in and the wood to relax, he said, which gives each piece a unique tone.

That lengthy creation time is one of the reasons he doesn’t do many repairs, having mostly closed down that part of his business.

“I want to be making,” he said, adding that he wants to leave behind his own legacy.

“You are known for your making,” he said. “When I die, 400 years from now, no one is going to care what violin I repaired.”

During a recent interview, Gordon was working with Douglas fir pieces about 2 millimeters thick.

His studio is full of tools, such as gauges, scrapers and a lightbox for drying varnish. Violins in various stages of completion hang from the rafters. Among those are several that were started when he and his dad were making the instruments together. Gordon said he has made a commitment to finish them.

His workshop also features a large picture window with a bird feeder just on the other side of the glass.

He and his wife, Sally, are avid birders and enjoy watching the birds, squirrels and chipmunks in the feeder.

The two are members of the Gordon Glen band – with about 10 others — that gathers and plays under a large tent set up on the Gordon property. Gordon plays fiddle, while Sally is on the upright bass.

“Being able to play in a band together is very enjoyable,” Sally said.

She said her husband’s profession is “pretty cool.”

“I love being married to a violin maker,” she said.

While the couple don’t have children, Gordon has had several apprentices and has a nephew who has shown an interest in the craft.

Making sure his violin-making knowledge lives on is important, he said.

“If you don’t share your knowledge, it doesn’t keep growing, it dies with you.”

Mirror Staff Writer Cati Keith is at 814-946-7535.

The Gordon file

Name: Robert Gordon III

Age: 68

Hometown: Titusville

Current residence:

Belsano, Cambria County (near Ebensburg)

Education: Titusville High School, 1973; attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Career: Violin maker; U.S. Navy, 1973-79

Hobbies: Birdwatching, playing music, driving their orange 1974 Volkswagen Beetle

Family: Wife, Sally; two brothers; and five sisters

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