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Violin makers in Boston
Violin makers in Boston – a curated list of luthiers
Boston offers a wide selection of violin makers and workshops. There is not a particular part of town with more luthiers than others: they can be found all over the city. Boston violin makers and workshops of excellent instrument makers are located in Boston downtown and everywhere else.
Content overview:
- Do luthiers in Boston repair instruments as well?
- Do violin makers in Boston also do rentals?
- Who can rehair my bow?
- Which violin makers in Boston sell strings, cases and accessories as well?
- Violin makers in Boston – map
Do luthiers in Boston repair instruments as well?
Since only very few violin makers and workshops focus exclusively on making new string instruments, practically every violin maker in Boston also offers the standard range of repairs and maintenance work. Changing strings, adjusting pegs, installing a fine tuner or retouching varnish are tasks that nearly everyone handles. If your instrument is particularly valuable or you need a more complicated restoration – such as repairing a crack on the top – you should make sure you only work with a restoration workshop you already know well and trust. As an alternative, you can speak to several different violin makers luthiers, discuss the situation in advance and request a bid.
Do violin makers in Boston also do rentals?
Many Boston luthiers offer student violins and cellos for rent or sell them on instalment payments, even if it does not say so on their web page. It’s worth asking!
Who can rehair my bow?
Many Boston violin makers make minor repairs or rehair bows themselves in their workshops or recommend bow makers they work with regularly.
Which violin makers in Boston sell strings, cases and accessories as well?
Commonly used accessories such as new strings or cases are available from most of the violin makers in Boston.
Violin makers in Boston – map
Our directory offers an overview of online violin shops and the right violin lessons in Boston.
Enter additional violin makers
Is your workshop missing from our list? Or do you know other luthiers in this region?
Chris White, violin maker, master violin maker
Chris White
Reuning & Sons
Qualification
violin maker, restorer
Service
trade, repair, restoration
Particularities
Reuning & Son Violins was founded by Sanford and Joan Reuning, professional musicians and educators, whose son Christopher Reuning is both a cellist and a trained violin restorer. The company sells fine stringed instruments and offers a wide range of luthier services.
The staff at the workshop of Reuning & Sons:
- Christopher Edel
- Eric Lane
- Andrew Ryan
- Gen Sato
- Christian Schabbon
Paul Wiessmeyer – Wiessmeyer Violins
Service
new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Paul Wiessmeyer studied violin making at the Mittenwald School of Violin Making in Mittenwald, Germany, and worked for several luthiers in Europe and the U.S.A. He won certificates and medals at international competitions and exhibitions, such as the gold medal at the Wienawski Competition in Poland and medals at the VSA International Competition in SLC. Paul Wiessmeyer teaches at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at the University of New Hampshire and is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.
Kevin Kelly
Service
new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Kevin Kelly studied violin making at the North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston and subsequently worked for Roland Feller in San Francisco. After that, he returned to Boston to work for Reuning & Son and to become head of the Violin Making and Repair department of the NBSS. He established his own studio in 2001 and today is a consultant to Skinner auctioneers and appraisers as well as to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. He has won several medals and certificates in exhibitions and competitions of the Violin Society of America and is a member of both the VSA and the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.
Marco Coppiardi – Coppiardi Violin Studios
Service
new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Marco Coppiardi was born in Cremona, Italy, and studied violin making at the renowned International Violin Making School in his hometown. In his Boston atelier, he focuses on making new instruments, but is frequently serving professional musicians with fine tuning, repair and restoration.
Wood and Strings Music Center
David Polstein
Qualification
master violinmaker
Service
new building
Particularities
David Polstein took his first steps as a violin maker with Jonathan Cooper in Portland, Maine, and attended the violin making program at the North Bennet Street School in Boston before he started to work with Arthur Toman in Newton as a restorer. In his atelier he focuses on making new instruments and won several awards in the competitions of the Violin Society of America (VSA). He is a member of the VSA and teaches violin making at the North Bennet Street School.
Andrew Weinstein – Weinstein Violins
Qualification
violin maker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration, accessories
Particularities
Andrew Weinstein studied violin making at the Kenneth Warren and Son School of Violin Making of Chicago with Tschu Ho Lee and subsequently worked for David Saunders in Seattle and J. Bradley Taylor in Boston. He founded „Shannon Strings“ in Boston 1980 in partnership with Rebecca Shannon and received several certificates and medals at international and VSA competitions.
Carriage House Violins – Johnson String Instruments
Qualification
bow maker, master violinmaker, restorer
Service
trade, repair, restoration, leasing, accessories
Particularities
Carriage House Violins is the instrument sales division of Johnson String Instrument (www.johnsonstring.com).
The team at Carriage House Violin workshop
- John Dailey : Workshop Manager
- Jess Fox : Customer Repair Specialist
- Jon Crumrine : Bow Maker
- Daniel Medina : Bow Technician
- In Kyu Hwang : Head Restorer
Bob Stubblebine – Stubblebine Lutherie
Qualification
master violinmaker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration, leasing, accessories
Particularities
Bob Stubblebine studied at the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, Arizona and worked at The Music Emporium in Lexington. While he specialises in reparing and making guitars, Jess Fox is the violin maker of their atelier.
Cao Meyer Violins
Qualification
master violinmaker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Kenneth G. Meyer gained first experience as a violin maker in seminars by Karl Roy and studied at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City under Jeff Robinson. After graduating he worked for Vahakn Nigogosian in NYC and for Jacques Français, specialising as a restorer. In 1985 he established his atelier on Long Island and focused on making new instruments. In 1999 he moved, according to the VSA Journal, to „more civilized territory“ and opened his Newton shop.
Paul Dulude – New England Violins Inc.
South End Strings
Alan DiPesa – DiPesa Violins
Qualification
master violinmaker, restorer
Service
new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Alan DiPesa studied violin making at the North Bennet Street School and was working for 3 years in NYC at Rare Violins of New York workshop before he returned to Boston. He lives and works in Roslindale.
David Golber
Qualification
violin maker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration, accessories
Particularities
David Golber studied violin making at the North Bennet Street School and specialises in Norwegian Hardanger Fiddles.
David Hawthorne
Qualification
bow maker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
David Hawthorne took his first steps in bow making with workshops of William Salchow and worked at Boston String Instrument Co. while studying music at the University of New Hampshire. In 1993, he attended the first Oberlin workshop with Stéphane Thomachot and joined Reuning & Sons when they established their Boston workshop. Subsequently he joined Thomachot's atelier in Paris before he opened his own studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In cooperation with Robert Seletsky he started to make baroque bows, and since more than 10 years he is teaching bow rehairing at the North Bennet Street School.
Thomas Dignan
Qualification
bow maker, restorer
Service
trade, new building, repair, restoration
Particularities
Thomas J. Dignan is a professional musician who worked as a bow maker for John Norwood, Chicago and for J. Bradley Taylor, Boston before he established his own atelier in 1983. He received several certificates at international competitions.