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BRIDGES are
hand-fitted for the particular instrument. Badly-fitting PEGS can often be improved but new ones are
needed eventually. ADJUSTERS
for fine-tuning cost up to £7.00 (cello).
BOWS are rehaired using best unbleached white
horsehair. LAPPING (winding for grip) costs about £10.00
depending on material. If you want sterling silver wire then
it'll be a bit more expensive. Whalebone is no longer used for
conservation reasons, but the replacements are almost identical
. Some cheap bows (Chinese mainly) are impossible to repair economically
- they have to be cut open. At a replacement cost of about £25
it is often better to buy new. I can often re-tie and re-wedge
the hair if it is not too tangled.
Still on the subject of bows,
I have supplied a fair number of very good, handmade English
bows by J.E.Vickers. These he makes to order from good pernambuco
(brazil-wood) in about two weeks. They are available with nickel,
silver and gold fittings. He uses German frogs and makes all
sizes for all instruments. I usually have one or two for demonstration.
As a rule of thumb, the bow should be worth about one third of
the instrument's value.
STRINGS I keep include Jargar and Thomastic
Dominant (around £35 for a violin set). Better-than-student strings include Pyramid
Superior and Dogal metal. I keep most of these strings for viola
and 'cello also. All strings can be bought separately, and will
be fitted if you wish.
Regarding INSTRUMENTS, I usually have a fair selection of secondhand
small to full-size violins, violas and some 'cellos. Most are
"better" student quality - violin outfits from £200,
'cello outfits from £350. Most instruments can go out on
approval and for the teacher to try them. Some outfits are available
for hire until the student decides definitely. Most of the instruments
I sell are late 19th century German and all have been set up
by me. Generally speaking, the tone is superior to new "budget"
instruments, but recently I have been upgrading new Chinese and
Romanian violins. Even a Primavera with pegs that that
fit, new soundpost and bridge, decent strings with four adjusters,
and a Korean bow is a huge improvement over the basic model.
It is more expensive at £120 but many parents and pupils
much prefer the improved quality. Romanian violin outfits cost
around £200 depending on the choice of bow and strings.
Music shops have to be very competitive.
Be careful if you buy a 'budget' violin outfit. What are you
getting for your money? I ask, because wholesalers admit they
rely on shops to 'set up' the instrument before sale. This should
involve shaping and fitting the bridge (critical operation),
checking soundpost position, easing pegs, fitting four adjusters,
stringing and tuning. The bow also needs checking. This costs
money and your shop may prefer to sell an instrument as it arrives
from the wholesaler. The chances are is won't play well, and
I've seen a fair number that are unplayable. How do you know
if it's been set up correctly? Ask your violin teacher - he or
she will know. Any decent shop should allow you to check the
instrument with the teacher.
I normally keep in stock a variety
of new violin CASES from £30 to £70. Most are
well padded, and all are strong, with good hinges and catches.
Broken bow clips cause real bother: the bow will damage the violin
unless it is adequately held. Though I don't repair cases as
such, I can fit new bow clips. 'CELLO COVERS cost from £28
upwards and the Hiscox glass fibre cello case costs around £200.
Because I SELL
and HIRE instruments I need to BUY them, and am always interested to see potential
sellers. Cheap outfits (Chinese etc) are probably better sold
through the small ads of the local paper - the difference between
new and secondhand value being relatively small.
If your instrument is DAMAGED, do remember that it probably looks
worse than it is. If a tailgut breaks, everything on the instrument
falls down - yet the repair cost is small. Some winters ago a
'cello came in in pieces. The mother had been rushing to get
her children to school, put the 'cello down behind the car, got
the kids in, and reversed. It mended quite easily because many
breaks are along glued joints. If disaster strikes, keep all
the pieces safely and please don't attempt a repair. The wrong
glue can make a repair impossible. Slacken the strings to relieve
pressure if in doubt. The strings should also be let down if
the soundpost falls inside the instrument.
Insurance companies often need
a WRITTEN
VALUATION for instruments
over (say) £500. They will usually accept 10% appreciation
each year without an annual revaluation. Occasionally I receive
instruments to realise as part of an estate. The more valuable
ones (over £1000) are sent to one of the London auction
houses. I hold auction prices back to 1984 from all the major
European houses.
July 2008
home repairs hints for sale |
