Repair

Repair Services

Setup, Repair and Maintenance of all Violin Family Instruments. Music Lessons offered for Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, Banjo and Bass. Specializing in Old-Time Fiddle and Bluegrass Music.

Feel free to contact me with any questions and thanks for any support!

Violin Bow Re-hair

Providing quality horsehair for your bow which is highly recommended every year or two depending on your playing style and needs. If you live near the tri-state area of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia and need a bow rehaired, you'll find out there isn't anyone who does a very good job and they still charge way too much. I am a player who understands what other players want, not just a woodworker. Now I have several years experience helping others get their violins and bows in top working order. Whatever produces the tone and feel you are looking for.

Is my bow worth re-haring?

Most old bows are not worth restoring when you can buy a brand new wooden bow with horse hair for less than the cost of a re-hair. Bows worthy of restoration would include those from known makers or any made from quality materials. I am seeing more carbon fiber bows of all price ranges come through the shop and they are excellent because they don't lose their camber. The camber or curvature of the bow is very important. Many old bows will lose its camber from being left with the hair tight or warp completely. Re-cambering can be attempted, but the results vary from one stick to another.

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A word about old violin cases: Bow Bugs! If your bow hair is getting brittle or breaking in the middle, bow bugs have infested your case. If your case has bow bugs, you will need to have the bow rehaired professionally, and you or the luthier will need to clean and disinfect your case. Then you should follow some easy steps to ensure that they don’t come back. Bow bugs, also known as carpet beetles and bow mites, can be members of several species of the Dermestidae family, in the larval stage. They’re fairly common, even in scrupulously clean homes, and they love to eat bow hair as well as wool. It is important not to store your bow in an unopened case for long periods of time, because bow bugs do best in dark, enclosed places. To get rid of them vacuum your case thoroughly. Leave your case open in a well -ventilated, bright area for a day or two. Take your bow to be rehaired professionally. Make a practice of periodically leaving your case open in a well-ventilated, bright area. Keep your case open when you practice.

Apprasial Options

We do instrument and bow appraisals for insurance purposes. The appraisal includes

A letter detailing the results of our examination and research, with our opinion on the current value
Research of current/recent sale prices for similar instruments or bow
A detailed examination of the makers specifications and notable characteristics

One apprasial can cover either:

One Instrument
One or two Bows
One Instrument and one bow

The charge for one appraisal is $45 (plus tax).

Verbal Appraisal and Instrument Identification

If all you need is an idea of what your instrument or bow is and what it's worth, when possible, we will spend a few minutes with you and the instrument and give you our best opinion, at no charge.

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