Amos Hargrave began his violin making career in 1974 at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City studying under Paul Hart and Peter Prier. Upon graduating in 1977, he continued in the workshop of Peter Prier until 1979 when he went to work for the firm of Jacques Francais Rare Violins Inc. In New York, where he developed his restoration skills for three years under the guidance of Rene Morel. He then became the chief restorer for Eric Chapman Violins in Larchmont, New York, before establishing his own shop in Charlotte, NC in 1983. In 1990, Amos moved his studio to the Aspen area in Colorado where he focused on instrument making and worked with musicians attending the Aspen Music Festival.