The endless journey…

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...

Popular poplar

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...

ISSMA virtual solo & ensemble countdown

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...

Sloane tuning gears for bass

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...

“Stubby” handle for Pegheds

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...

Porsche 917 or…

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…

My favorite compact cello stand

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...

Position markings

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...

All of my favorite things…

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. ...

Gut string update

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...