by John Rihani | Feb 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
Finding the right strings for your instrument can feel like an endless journey. You can even make a convincing argument that it IS an endless journey – your instrument changes subtly over the years you play it and you change as a musician. Some people are...
by John Rihani | Feb 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
While most people familiar with the construction of violin family instruments associate maple with the wood of choice for the back and ribs (sides), poplar is also a wonderful and viable option…especially for cellos and violas. Take a look at this beautiful...
by John Rihani | Jan 26, 2021 | Uncategorized
It’s that time of year again! Even in these strange pandemic times, students have the opportunity to engage with their instrument and challenge themselves through the ISSMA solo & ensemble events. We’re about a month away from the actual dates and...
by John Rihani | Jan 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
Another temporary COVID casualty is the production of Sloane bass tuning gears, considered the best available by many people. I am confident that production will eventually resume, but it was difficult to snag this set of Venetian-style tuners for a Jay Haide bass...
by John Rihani | Jan 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
If you’ve been around our page or in the shop, you know I’m a fan of Pegheds – internally geared pegs for cellos. The advantages are many and the compromises are few. My love for these is a departure from my traditionalism in many other areas of...
by John Rihani | Dec 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
You can buy a 1970 Porsche 917 for $14 million dollars or you can come in and pick out one of these beautiful cases for something less than that. Your choice…
by John Rihani | Dec 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
As a cellist and violin shop manager, I’ve seen just about every conceivable product and method for storing and displaying cellos. Stands, boxes, cabinets, carts…there are countless different versions and iterations from which to choose. Each has its...
by John Rihani | Nov 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Learning to play a violin-family instrument is challenging. Holding the bow, proper posture, tuning the instrument, don’t collapse the wrist, keep your thumb bent, etc. Then…where do you put your fingers? There are no keys, no frets, no markings...
by John Rihani | Nov 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
No, I promise I won’t start singing numbers from “The Sound of Music”, but I have been thinking about my favorite things. As you can imagine, there isn’t as much hustle and bustle at the shop these days as people reduce nonessential travel. ...
by John Rihani | Nov 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
A while ago I wrote about putting a full set of Pirastro Eudoxa gut-core strings on a Jay Haide Vuillaume model cello here in the shop to give us a chance to gain more experience with gut strings. It continues to be a fun and educational journey. While the strings...
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