Alfred Mercoucheff

After a childhood of singing and bad mandolin playing along with woodworking and painting; I found myself as an apprentice to Philip Injeian in Pittsburgh. There, during a 14-month apprenticeship, I co-built several violins and helped with several restoration projects. Up in his second-floor workshop, with floor to ceiling windows, I fell in love with the world of violins. (pictured below)

 During the November 2018 Violin Society of America convention, I found a new job and spent roughly 2 1/2 years in Florida doing a lot of setup work and furthering my bench skills.

Then in July of 2021 I was offered a job working for Chris Jacoby at the Potters workshop. In the past four years I have worked on a large variety of instruments and honed my bench skills.

For the past two years I have been attending the ALI restoration workshop in Williamsport PA to further my knowledge of more complex repairs. The workshop provides a unique opportunity to learn from some of the best luthiers. It also allows me to further my knowledge on the best techniques and the most appropriate ways of maintaining and restoring these historical gems.

From a 20th century American made fiddle to a 17th century Italians master, all violin family instuments excite me.  I intend to provide the best possible service or direct musician to a colleague who is better equipped to solve the problem their instrument is facing.