At the same time he studied the violoncello at the Parma
Conservatoire, under Maestro Ballarini. In 1989 he moved to Bologna, where in
1991 he opened his own workshop in the historical centre, in Via del Pratello.
There he spent much time researching acoustics in close
collaboration with instrumentalists simultaneously regarding the aesthetic -
artistic aspect. The scrupulous choice of the primary material is fundamental
to the success of an instrument, which aims to touch one immediately with its
beauty and its voice. He uses only very well seasoned wood (some specific instruments
were made of fir wood from the 18th century), and his varnish is exclusively
based on oil. Frank Eickmeyer has also dedicated much time to restoration and
the construction of baroque instruments.
Since 2005, he divides his life between Sardinia, Italy,
where he builds mainly violoncellos, and Marseille, France, where he develops
and enlarges his research on violins. In 2013 he starts a new atelier in the heart of Cologne, Germany.
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