Setup, Repairs, Restoration
Expert Instrument Repairs
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Care and experience
I know from personal experience as a player just how much anxiety can be felt when your instrument is not being its best self, whether through changes in climate, normal wear and tear or accidental damage. It’s a fact that at some point in the life of any instrument, it will need some work done on it.
I have been repairing and restoring instruments for over 25 years now, and I have regularly done everything from relatively minor adjustments and a good clean, to complete rebuilds after major damage.
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Commitment to restoring sound
I have worked on instruments at all levels from centuries-old instruments such as Guadagninis and Guarneris to good modern student instruments.
No matter what level of work is needed, or how old and expensive- or not- the instrument is, I give it my full attention and commitment to ensure that the result surpasses the expectation of the owner.
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Delivering the essentials
Commonly needed repairs and maintenance include new or adjusted bridge and soundpost, new or reworked fingerboards, pegs, neck wedges, re-glue of seams , and soundpost crack repairs. And almost every instrument I see benefits from a good clean!
See a repair in action!
Many of the images you have seen in this gallery relate to a repair I undertook for New Zealand renowned violinist James Jin. Please see accompanying video for the violin in action post repair.
Do it once
I approach all repairs from the perspective of “ do it once, do it properly” but with as little interference with the original instrument as possible. If the belly needs to be removed to make internal repairs- something that is not infrequent with major repairs- I will always do this in consultation with the owner so that they are fully across what I am doing and why, including the need for work (and costs) that may not have been obvious when the instrument was still in one piece.
It’s your repair
Once the repair has been done, I am always happy for the owner to return a bit later for a final adjustment and tweak, at no extra cost. My aim is always for a happy customer!
