Repairs

Optimising the sound and playability of your instruments and bows is what makes my work challenging and worthwhile. Sometimes a small tweak achieves a great deal, at other times it takes extensive restoration.
Make an appointment to come into the workshop, so we can plan any maintenance, repairs and sound adjustments according to your needs and budget.
The conservation of your instrument is also extremely important. Considering that some of these beautiful instruments have been around for 3 centuries and more, we need to preserve them for future generations in the best possible condition.
To vist please make an appointment: 07495 787 682

The 'Same Day' bow-rehair is back!

Drop your bow in the morning and collect after two to three hours.

Prices for violin, viola and cello: £85.-
Double bass; white hair or salt-and-pepper: £95.-
Double bass black hair: £85
Black rehair for violin, viola, cello and baroque bows: £75.

Have you considered using black hair for student bows, baroque bows or cello bows?
It is strong and a bit coarser than the usual white Mongolian or Siberian. It is much less frequently used and therefore less expensive.

Advance booking is essential: 07495787682

Summer Bows

In addition to my regular bow rehairs I'm teaming up with Academy Violins in Lewes during the 2024 Glyndebourne season;
From May to August you will be able to drop off and collect your bows at the shop just a few minutes away from Lewes train station:

Academy Violins
29 Lansdown Place
Lewes BN7 2JU

Please liaise with Robert Haydon-Clark for drop off and pick-up times: academyviolins@gmail.com

I will collect the bows in person, rehair them and return them to the shop. I will aim to turn bows around between Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Make sure your name and phone number are attached to your bow!

My number for any questions: 07495787682

Early music

From the start of my training in Cremona in 1986, restoring and setting up instruments for early music performace practice has had a special allure for me. Today it is still a large and much loved part of my workload.
Each era within the baroque through to the classical period has its own characteristics; I have a range of variations to choose from to suit your musical specifications. I then design and make the set-up individually for each instrument, to enhance its qualities as much as possible.

New build

Alongside the many set-ups I do on antique violins, violas and cellos, I enjoy making new baroque instruments.
Currently I am working on a commission for Alistair Scahill (London Philharmonic) making a baroque version of his modernised Castagneri viola from 1736. This is a beautiful large viola (43.6mm) and I am privileged to have frequent access to the original. His new instrument will be ready this summer and Alistair will be able to switch comfortably between his old and new instrument. The new viola will look new, not like a copy, but should feel comfortably familiar.
I will build my next viola on a smaller 41.3cm form inspired by Andrea Guarneri's work and plan to base my next violin on an early violin by Antonio Stardivari. I have a beautiful one-piece back waiting to be used for that.
I currently have a baroque violin, based on Andrea Amati, available for sale (£9500). Please contact me if you would like to try this violin or if you want to discuss the possibilities of placing a commission.

A personal note

As a luthier I admire the complex beauty of the violin-family instruments and their rich history, but my main motivation comes from the musicians who bring their instruments to my workshop.
Their instrument is not just object of beauty but also, perhaps mainly, a tool to earn a living and to express their musical gift.
With this in mind I repair and set up violins, violas and cellos. More recently I have picked up new making again, inspired by the beautiful antique instruments I have the privilege of working on and by the gifted players I have the pleasure to work with.

To visit please make an appointment
The reason I will meet with you by appointment only, is because I fit my working day around the time I expect you. Many parts of my work require total commitment: just think of applying hot glue or varnish, or tying the knot on damp bow hair. If I had to interrupt those tasks to run to the door it would be a calamity. So if I know you're coming I will put off those kind of jobs and plan something that can be put down for a few moments and then continued when you're gone. Thank you for understanding.