During his second year at West Dean, Hubert was awarded a grant to help him buy tools and books, including two soundpost setters and retrievers as well as two peg reamers and  Simone F. Sacconi  "the secrets of Stradivari".  These tools were used to set up the instrument illustrated below, a bass viol in the style of Henry Smith.

Hubert writes:

“In July 2011 I graduated, with with distinction in stringed musical instrument making, a three year programme at West Dean College. Before West Dean I was working with a double bass maker in Amsterdam where I learnt the basics of repair.

Studying with Roger Rose and Shem Mackey in my first and second years at West Dean, I made several viols. Two of them were tenor and bass viols in the style of Henry Smith. Under Shem’s tuition I  made a baroque violin and cello.

I’ve done some restoration projects working on both violin and cello, including neck grafts, crack repairs, sound post patches during my studies.

In my last year at West Dean College I have made a 7 string bass viol after Collichon and a copy of a cello after G.B. Rogeri, shown here.

Last summer I was fortunate enough to have a two week work placement at J & A Beare in London. After West Dean I got a job with a cello maker in Amsterdam where I'm doing mostly restorations on cellos, and 1I have just started a neck graft on a beautiful Italian cello. I really enjoy repairing and restoring instruments because you learn so much from looking at other instruments.

In April I will take part in the BVMA restoration course; it will be very interesting to share ideas and experience about instrument repair and restoration.

At home I have a little workshop where I still make instruments, and currently I'm working on a new 7 string viol.”