Violin setup and instrument repair
Specialising in violin setup and sound adjustment (violas also), below are the services 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.
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!
Bridge / Soundpost fitting
The bridge is a crucial element to an instrument’s tone. This begins with selecting a blank with the right qualities to suit the instrument. After ensuring correct fit and heights, certain areas of the bridge are carefully trimmed to different widths, and this will allow the bridge to move in various ways to contribute to 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
“Miraculous” – RLPO Concertmaster’s violin bridge 
A bridge fitted for a fine 1680’s violin 
A 2024 bridge for a 1600’s Italian violin 
A 2024 bridge for a 1600’s Italian violin 
The final product- sharp ends and a smooth surface is my aim 
Always aiming for details such as clean chamfers 
It’s entirely preference how a luthier shapes the ankle’s outside curves- I always love doing large sweeping ones 
An example of a bridge cut for a Guarneri del Gesu copy. 2 protectors for higher-tension strings 
A bridge cut by me in 2022 
Using a mirror to check the fit of a post from every angle
Peg fitting / 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
Ebony work- Nuts / Saddles
It’s 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 on 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.
Fittings- chinrests, tailpieces, etc
Looking for new fittings to change the sound of your instrument?
Accompanying violin setup, I have over 50 model/wood varieties of chinrest and tailpiece, and over 30 for pegs!
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,
Not sure where to begin? I’ll be more than happy to advise you on which are best suited to your needs (comfort is important), as well as on how each wood/material affects this- each has its own advantage! !
Get in touch to discuss optimising your violin setup
Violin setup reviews left here and on google