"Darren's viola, which I've had now for almost two years, has deepened and broadened my awareness of how a viola sounds and what it does. From the first time I played it, in a quartet, the instrument produced a burnished, big sound that delighted everyone in the group. It responded quickly to the demands of the Mendelssohn quartet we were working on. Those are the qualities that the instrument has kept and developed over the ensuing months; but with daily use, it has gained a depth and presence that have kept me coming back to practice more. As the instrument has developed, I'd like to think it has shown me things about technique that were vague previously. As a result, I play in a more focused, clean, generally aware way than before. This is a viola for the long term. I rather think it will continue to grow and develop long after I've finished playing on it; it's nice to think of it being used generations from now."

Dr. David J. Parkinson 2005 viola 16 1/2

I purchased a violin from Darren in the spring of 2005. A couple of years previous to 2005 I had been looking to upgrade from my first full size German-made violin. I was looking for something with a big sound, and a violin I would feel comfortable playing for a long time. Darren's violin has a very clear and precise sound, but the sound is also very deep and mellow. As I play this violin more, the sound is becoming deeper still. The finger board on my violin seems to be a little bit wider which allows me to play more accurately and with more ease because my hands are fairly large. I am able to come into Darren's studio anytime and he will take a look at my violin and make any necessary adjustments.

Nils Lokken 2005 violin