I
specialize in violin retouching and offer violin restoration and repair
of violins, violas, cellos and basses. In my violin restoration - repair
shop, I approach each repair or restoration as a unique work of art.
I carefully restore the craftsmanship and musical tone of each instrument.
My specialty is touch-up, known as retouching, and spirit varnishing
(see my page on Varnish
Touch-up). Below are two short animations. The first
showing a cracked pegbox with double Flank Repairs combined with Peg
Bushings and the steps towards the final retouching. The second one
is shorter demonstrative animation showing just a few of the steps involved
in retouching taken from my book, "The Art of Violin Retouching".
Feel free to explore my violin site further. Here you will find more
information about my art of violin restoration, retouching and repair.
The
artisan works carefully to restore the instrument to its original structure,
both to preserve the historic value, as well as to carry forth the characteristic
improvement of the tone that results from aging of the wood. The tone
quality of the violin and its relatives, viola, cello and bass, actually
improves with age, because years of seasoning increases the wood's ability
to resonate. Beyond that, playing the instrument causes the tone to
improve continuously.
People ship instruments for restoration, retouching and repair from
all over the country. My shop is now located in Durango, CO in La Plata
County at the Four Corners of CO (Colorado), UT (Utah), AZ (Arizona)
and NM (New Mexico). You can visit my shop by setting up an appointment.
Pick up/delivery and service call options are available. For shipping
instructions and recommendations, go to the "Contact Us" page
or click HERE
for a Word document.
On
my "Testimonials"
page are a number of nationwide customer e-mails.
I
offer fun and informative presentations to students and instructors
about repair, restoration, retouching, how to care for instruments,
design and tonal quality. Please see section under "Presentations"
for more.
Member
of:
Violin Society of America
American Musical Instrument Society
Violin Makers Association of Arizona International
The Southern California Assocation of Violin Makers
Michigan Violinmakers Association
Training
in advanced restoration at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute, UNH
Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone with
restoration questions.
Phone: 970.903.2173
e-mail: Artisan
Violin TM, Restorations
I
am pleased to announce my new book!
"The
Art of Violin Retouching"
This
is a unique step by step instructional guide for violin restorers and
people wanting to understand retouching. It is illustrated with color
photography which enhances its value as a teaching manual, and printed
in a format that is easy to use at the workbench.
The book is written in the style of an inspiring philosophical commentary
on artisanship. Its beautiful photographs and aesthetic layout make
it also a perfect coffee table gift for people interested in artisanship,
craftsmanship and musical instruments.
You can order The Art of Violin Retouching
from:http://www.henrystrobel.com
Note: This a professional book. Beginners are advised not to practice
on valuable instruments. Care should be taken to avoid unnecessarily
removing original varnish, wood, patina or texture. Wear marks on antique
instruments should be evaluated for their potential to add value to
the instrument before removing.
ARTISAN
VIOLIN TM. Artisan Violin Restoration by Brian Epp
