As well as keeping a supply of items such as bridges, adjusters, endpins, fingerboards, tailpieces, tailwire etc. for all string instruments I also have the following items on offer at the moment:

Bass humidifiers                    £10.50
Bass wolf note eliminators    £6
Rubber endpin tips                £1-4.50

I normally have a number of instruments for sale (and can also suggest colleagues who also have instruments available).

Currently I have:

Doublebasses:

4/4 carved back    £3450

This is a lovely instrument. It has the look and sound of a quality european 19th century bass and several people who have seen it have assumed that is what it is. (It even has a label of the noted French luthier Joseph Hel.) However things are not what they seem......
This is a modern instrument -less than 10 years old -but beautifully built and varnished with a lovely dark chestnut varnish which has been subtly aged to give a really authentic look.
In the workshop the instrument has been fitted with a new high quality ebony fingerboard, nut and saddle. The soundpost and endpin have been replaced and the bass has been setup with a new bridge and a new set of gut strings.
The instrument has a full size body but unlike some instruments the scale length is still a very manageable 105cm.
The instrument's size gives it a great big full tone and plenty of volume but due to it's fine construction and carved back it remains nice and light.

                   
Vital statistics:
LOB                115 cm
Upper bout     51.5 cm
Lower bout     69 cm
Rib depth        21 cm (max)
Scale length    105.5 cm



3/4 size flat back. SOLD MAY 2008
This is a very elegantly shaped instrument, probably German and from the 1920/30s.
It is an original 4 string instrument with swept up shoulders allowing easy access to the higher positions.
The back shows a good figure and the 2 piece front appears to have never needed repair (highly unusual on an instrument of this age!).
The neck and fingerboard were replaced following an accident about 8 years ago. The instrument has also been revarnished in a dark chestnut colour.
Vital statistics:
Rib depth            8"          (20.2 cm)
Upper bout          203/4"   (52.7 cm)
Lower bout          26"       (66 cm)
Scale length         421/2"   (108 cm)


4/4 Saxon flat back
This is a big instrument! -classic Saxon construction with integral neck block. This is a recent arrival in the workshop and is in need of quite a bit of work. If you are interested let me know and I will contact you when it's ready. This bass is going to have a terrific full sound when finished.
Vital statistics:
Rib depth             83/4"     (22.2 cm)
Upper bout          21"        (53.3 cm)
lower bout           271/4"    (69.2 cm)
Scale length        421/2"     (108 cm)

     


3/4 German mid 19th century
I refer to this one as the 'flat pack' bass: it arrived from Germany literally 'flat packed'! Obviously, this instrument had a nasty encounter with damp at some point and virtually all the joints had separated. Also there were sizable chunks missing! It has been a time consuming task coaxing this bass back together and it needed new braces and linings and will have a new bass bar. It is a nice compact 'chamber' size instrument and has a repair label inside from Herr Sydow of Essen (Ruhr) dated November 1909. This bass will be ready in mid 2008 and I expect it to fetch £3000-3500.
Vital statistics:
Rib depth            73/4"     (22.2 cm)
Upper bout          203/4"   (52.7 cm)
lower bout           25"        (63.5 cm)


3/4 mid 20th century
This is a very lightweight European 'workshop' instrument. Nothing special but is perfect as an everyday workhorse or as a second bass with a different set up to your normal instrument. Awaiting a neck graft as the original has been excessively thinned down. (If a thinned down neck sound like your sort of thing let me know and a good deal could be coming your way!!)


Violins:

3/4 Alois Zmitko £550
Good quality inter-war student instrument from Czechoslovakia. Two piece back with attractive figure, nice book-matched front and glowing golden (though well worn) varnish which shows the wood off beautifully. Ebony fingerboard and inlaid purfling. Recently overhauled including new bass bar, edge repairs, button repair and new ebony fittings. Fully blocked and lined throughout.

4/4 Marquis De L'Air L'Oiseaux £1750
Classic Mirecourt 19th century instrument. Rather unusual one piece belly of medium grain and also one piece back with good figure. Despite suffering severe water damage this instrument has been carefully restored and is in now excellent original condition. Set up with ebony fittings and a new bass bar. This is a very stylish and well executed instrument with a good tone. Branded with maker's details below the button and internally bears a repair label of J.K.Monk (a well regarded maker and repairer) dated 1912.

Instruments for hire