Dictionary of Makers

Tomaso Eberle was born in the small town of Vils, which is situated in present day Austria, close to the German border and the violin-making town of Fiissen. How he came to live in Naples is unclear, but it is evident that the move must have occurred early in his life and before he began his training as a violin maker.

 

Eberle probably learned his craft with Nicola Gagliano. Certainly Nicola's influence can be seen in the over all similarity of the model that he used and his typically Neapolitan varnish. However, Eberle did not slavishly copy Gagliano's work and one can observe a marked difference in the makers' treatment of thef holes, which, in Eberle's case, have a somewhat more rigid feel. The scrolls also show Eberle's individuality and tend to be more delicate than those of the Gaglianos (cf Nicola Gagliano scroll, page 218).