Repair
Musical instruments are made to last forever. We, musicians and violin makers alike are merely their trustees at this moment in time.
A successful repair, be it a standard procedure such as fitting a new bridge or an extensive restoration including many crack repairs and patches requires two things of a violin maker. Firstly sufficient knowledge and experience to decide which is the correct procedure for each individual instrument. The second is a sufficiently high level of skill and craftsmanship to realise the desired result. Nicholas has over 20 years experience in repair and restoration of stringed instruments. In that time he has worked on instruments from many of the greatest violin makers: Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Nicolo Amati, GB Guadagnini, Gagliano, Testore, JB Vuillaume etc.
This experience combined with the desire to achieve the perfect result create a sound basis for his work.
Our aim is for repair and restoration start obviously with the preservation of the original and to provide a comprehensive and lasting work quality. Playability and sound, incorporating individual customer wishes and goals are also a priority for us. We will be glad to glad to give you any advise we can with regards to your instruments.
Regular care and service of a bow is critical for its function, condition and value. Repairs such as re-hairing, replacing the leather grip, winding or a new head-plate should be carried out when necessary in order to halt the deterioration of a bow through use. The mechanics of the bow, especially the interface between the frog and bow stick should be regularly checked and if necessary adjusted to minimise wear and tear damage. A bow maker should carry out these repairs with due care and precision while also sympathetically attempting to reflect the style of the bow which they are working on. This of course requires skill and an in depth knowledge of bow making styles and techniques.
The camber, in combination with the grading of a bow stick has a profound influence on the performance of a bow. Only perfect harmony of these two criteria will allow it to function well. A bow which is hard to control or doesn’t respond well will almost always have an imbalance of these two things. This consequently is very limiting for a players ability to articulate using different bowing techniques. Over time, it is possible for a bow stick to lose some of its camber, bend to one side or become twisted. It is therefore advisable to check the bow stick from time to time.