Brayton Sherman Bretch

BRETCH, Brayton Sherman Born 1867 Omar, New York, died 1930 Oswego, New York USA. Pupil of J. R. Squier in Boston and D. G. Struble in Washington. Established in Oswego, New York from 1903. Personal model utilising many original ideas in technique and finish. Later concentrated on Stradivari and Guarneri patterns. Founder of a popular correspondence school in violin making in 1910. Made and sold his own varnish. Advocate of plate-tuning finished instrument prior to varnishing.