Im looking to buy a good quality fiddle but dont know where to go looking. Any suggestions for fiddle shops with a good selection to choose from? I dont mind where in Europe the shop or maker is as long as I find one I like............suggestions please!
"Banjo player from Mayo." ~ from your details, assuming you're still there? There are good people in Ireland. We had a thread on this very subject within the last few months, I'll see if I can find it and link you through. Why I ask about location is that when we expand the field to say Eastern Europe, the number of possibilities is huge...
I got my fiddle and bow from his shop, and the whole experience of picking them out was lovely and loads of fun. First he brought me tea and cookies. Then I gave him a target price range and we set to work. He brought out several bows and I tried each one with my existing fiddle until I narrowed the selection down to 3 that I liked. Then he brought out several fiddles and I spent a couple of hours playing them and trying out different bow/fiddle combos, (though really I knew at once which fiddle I was taking home as soon as I played it).
He was very accommodating as far as making adjustments on the spot for me a month or so later. I couldn't hack life without fine tuners, and a section of the bow hairs came loose from the frog. Never had a problem after that and that was in 2003.
He's a fine luthier, and moreover, he keeps his eyes and ears on the lookout for used instruments suited for traditional music. My fiddle was one of those gems that came through his shop.
Fiddle Shop
Fiddle Shop
Im looking to buy a good quality fiddle but dont know where to go looking. Any suggestions for fiddle shops with a good selection to choose from? I dont mind where in Europe the shop or maker is as long as I find one I like............suggestions please!
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by jmurf100
Re: Fiddle Shop
Let's start with you letting us know where you're centered... Then we can work out from there, starting with who's nearest to you...
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Fiddle Shop
"Banjo player from Mayo." ~ from your details, assuming you're still there? There are good people in Ireland. We had a thread on this very subject within the last few months, I'll see if I can find it and link you through. Why I ask about location is that when we expand the field to say Eastern Europe, the number of possibilities is huge...
Best of luck in finding a fiddle ~ & bow...
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Fiddle Shop
BVMA: British Violin Making Association
http://www.bvma.org.uk/
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by ceolachan
http://www.irish-music.net/Instrumentmakers.htm
http://www.wizardviolins.com/Irish_Violin_Makers/IrishMakers.html
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Fiddle Shop
Tim Phillips?
http://www.timsviolins.co.uk/
Somebody's got to mention him...
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Fiddle Shop
Ernst Kaeshammer in the very western part of Germany:
http://www.kaeshammer-geigen.de/vita.html
I got my fiddle and bow from his shop, and the whole experience of picking them out was lovely and loads of fun. First he brought me tea and cookies. Then I gave him a target price range and we set to work. He brought out several bows and I tried each one with my existing fiddle until I narrowed the selection down to 3 that I liked. Then he brought out several fiddles and I spent a couple of hours playing them and trying out different bow/fiddle combos, (though really I knew at once which fiddle I was taking home as soon as I played it).
He was very accommodating as far as making adjustments on the spot for me a month or so later. I couldn't hack life without fine tuners, and a section of the bow hairs came loose from the frog. Never had a problem after that and that was in 2003.
He's a fine luthier, and moreover, he keeps his eyes and ears on the lookout for used instruments suited for traditional music. My fiddle was one of those gems that came through his shop.
Happy hunting.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by _Steph_