Poll: what is your favorite rosin?

by | May 7, 2019 | Uncategorized

I recently used social media to ask my cellist friends what kind of rosin they liked to use.  I’ve been using the same rosin – Pirastro Oliv – for nearly twenty years.  My reasoning has always been the old, “if it ain’t broke, don’t...

Varnish

by | Apr 30, 2019 | Uncategorized

While there is no way I could cover even an overview of violin family instrument varnish in a single blog post, it’s been on my mind this past week.  Several of the makers we work with either send me pictures of the instrument in various stages of construction,...

Cello bows!

by | Apr 24, 2019 | Uncategorized

As I helped a cellist choose a bow last week, it struck me what a wide selection of cello bows we currently have at the shop.  In pernambuco bows, we have everything from nickel-mounted workshop bows all the way to gold-mounted, master-maker bows.  In carbon-fiber, we...

Chicago Bass Works instrument update

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Uncategorized

A few weeks ago I shared two beautiful basses by Andrew Hassel of Chicago Bass Works that were in the shop.  We had previously helped match one of Andrew’s basses with a talented college student so we were excited to have his next two instruments in the shop. ...

The role of sound

by | Apr 2, 2019 | Uncategorized

Sound is a big part of what I do.  I realize that might sound obvious, but I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about the role of sound.  When shopping for an instrument or bow, I often hear statements like “sound is most important” or “it...

Rostanvo – a new name in cello strings

by | Mar 26, 2019 | Uncategorized

I love hearing about a new product in the cello world.  So much of what we use every day has been around for so long, and I find it wonderful that there are still new ideas and people willing to bring them to market.  Rostanvo was a name I’d never heard before...

A quick trip to IU Jacobs School of Music

by | Mar 19, 2019 | Uncategorized

Although I spend the bulk of my time in the shop, there are days I get to load up a couple of basses, grab a cup of coffee, cue up some Taylor Swift, and hit the road.  Today was such a day, delivering two basses to one of the professors at the IU Jacobs School of...

Beautiful basses by Andrew Hassel

by | Mar 12, 2019 | Uncategorized

For the next week these two beautiful basses by Chicago Bass Works luthier Andrew Hassel will be in the shop.  This is a fantastic opportunity to play on hand-crafted, US-made instruments with premium hardware, innovative bracing, and incredible sound.  We had bass #2...

We treat our customers like family

by | Mar 5, 2019 | Uncategorized

We talk a great deal here at Encore Orchestral Strings about treating our customers like family.  While this can mean different things depending on your perspective and experiences, to us it means having our customers’ best interests in mind.  We do our best to...