Instrument Repairs

Below are the following services that I offer:

Cleaning

With hundreds of hours experience acculumated in cleaning instruments of all conditions and origin, you can be sure that that your instrument’s varnish will not just be carefully preserved, but also brought back to life. If your instrument is antiqued, any patina original to the making will not be lost. A light English-recipe polish blend will be applied after cleaning, and this is to protect your instrument from general day-to-day handling.

I do not offer French polishing, this is an outdated and invasive practise. My cleaning rates are hourly, so it’s best to make sure that you give your instrument a gentle dry wipe after each playing to minimise this cost!

Deep cleaning of a Carl Friedrich Hopf c.1870- don’t let your violin become this dirty!
Cleaning an Italian violin scroll from 1817
Example of using ultraviolet (UV) light to help distinguish dirt and later added substances from original varnish

Peg fittings/ bushings

Every peg fitted by me is finished to the highest of standards, and I make sure that they turn smoothly while not slipping, for the ease of the player.

I also offer bushings for when an instrument’s pegholes become too large and need to be filled in with new wood. These bushings are then disguised by matching the wood figure/grain details and surrounding varnish colour. After this is done, the new holes are drilled and reamed, ready to receive a set of pegs.

New tamarind pegs for this stunning Italian scroll- the owner chose well!
Spot the retouched bushing for the D-peghole! The bushing next to it is how it looks before any disguising is done
Modern ways to make sure the new pegholes are aligned properly and not wonky
Smoothly-finished shanks for these heart-style pegs
New ebony pegs for this French violin
A before/after of peg bushings and varnish retouch for this lovely violin scroll
A before/after of peg bushings and varnish retouch for this lovely violin scroll

Bridge and soundpost fitting

The bridge is a crucial element to an instrument’s sound. This begins with selecting a blank with the right qualities to suit the instrument. After making sure the bridge fits correctly, care is taken to trim it cleanly in the right areas which will help contribute to the desired tonal colours/qualities. This will vary as each instrument is different in it’s traits!

The soundpost is equally important, and even a slight change in position or tension can make all the difference between an instrument sounding just *ok*, and one that is suitable for solo/concert playing and feels naturally right to play on. This is why adjustments are done to find the ideal position for this- find out more

An example of my most recent style of bridge cutting
Using a mirror to check the fit of a post from every angle
A more tapered bridge for a violin with narrow soundholes
A bridge cut by me in 2022

Ebony work- nuts & saddles

It is important for an ebony nut and its slots to be shaped correctly, so that the strings travel smoothly over them and they are not damaged. With this, I also make sure that the nut blends properly with the fingerboard and the player should not be able to notice it at all while playing!

A seamless transition between an old fingerboard and a new nut for this violin
Another example. The sides of the fingerboard are shaped for the comfort of the player
A style I often use for shaping the sides of the nut so they gracefully end to a point
A two-piece ebony saddle for a fine 18th century violin with a tall arching
More photos of this violin’s Hill saddle
More photos of this violin’s Hill saddle

Ebony work- fingerboards

I am happy to make an ebony fingerboard for your violin/viola with the highest degree of quality- focusing of comfort and clean surfaces

Fingerboard planing? Grooves on the fingerboard are slowly made by the strings from playing, and eventually this will cause buzzing. These grooves are planed down and a fresh new surface is made for the player to enjoy.

This English violin has received a new ebony fingerboard
Ebony is such a dense wood that it gives a mirror finish from an angle!
Trying a Corene (synthetic ebony) fingerboard on this French violin
Trying a Corene (synthetic ebony) fingerboard on this French violin

Fittings- chinrests, tailpieces, etc

Looking for new fittings to change the sound of your instrument? I’ll be more than happy to to advise you on how each wood/material affects this- each has its own advantage!

Want fittings for your instrument which are classic and elegant in look, or want them to have a bit more flair? We’ve got you covered, with over 50 model/wood varieties of chinrest and tailpiece, and over 30 for pegs! Not sure where to begin? I will be happy to advise you on which are best suited to your needs, as well as comfort for chinrests!

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