It could be said that Carl F. Becker (1919 - 2013) was born with a fiddle in his hands; violins in his blood; that he was to the manner born; a chip off the old block. After Carl's graduation from High School in 1937 he went to work for William Lewis and Son as an apprentice in the violin shop. He worked there, under his father's supervision, for the next four and a half years, and during that
time completed his apprenticeship and advanced into the world of violin making and violin restoration. Carl F. has, indeed, achieved such a reputation for care and craftsmanship that he has been entrusted with the task of taking apart a violin that is thought by many musicians to be the world's finest- the "Lady Blunt," a Stradivarius that was made in 1721.
He was mustered into the military service in November, 1941. He ranked second in his Company in rifle marksmanship, with the rating of Expert Rifleman; and at the completion of his basic training he was selected, as one of eight men from his Company, for appointment to Officer Candidate School. At the time of his discharge, February 21, 1946, he was a First Lieutenant, and he entered the Air Force Reserve with the rank of Captain. He has since been advanced to the rank of Major. It was in 1946 when Carl F. rejoined his father at the bench of William Lewis and Son. Carl F. Becker has recently completed 4 violins at the young age of 90 and has 2 violas and 1 violin that should be completed by the end of January 2011.
At the age of 16, Carl F. joined his father on the bench at William Lewis & Son and in Wisconsin. In 1948, the first collaborative "Carl Becker & Son" labeled violin appeared and the making continued. In 1968, Carl F. and Carl G. opened the violin shop we all know today--Carl Becker and Son, Ltd.
It could be said that Carl F. Becker (1919 - 2013) was born with a fiddle in his hands; violins in his blood; that he was to the manner born; a chip off the old block. After Carl's graduation from High School in 1937 he went to work for William Lewis and Son as an apprentice in the violin shop. He worked there, under his father's supervision, for the next four and a half years, and during that
time completed his apprenticeship and ad...