Ifshin Violins is one of the largest violin shops in the United States.
Every day, we are visited and called by musicians, collectors, teachers,
and students from all over California, the United States, and the world,
assisted by our experienced staff of professional musicians.
In the mid 1930's, Louis Prince opened a violin shop in downtown San Francisco. At that time, he was the West Coast representative of Emil Herrman of New York who was one of the most important and respected violin dealers in this country. After a few years, he moved his shop across the bay to Berkeley. After he retired, the shop which was then called Berkeley Violin Center, changed ownership. In 1979, Jay Ifshin went to work for the owners of the shop performing violin repairs. In 1981, he bought the shop and moved it to a small California bungalow a few blocks down the street. When he bought the shop, there were two part-time employees. Today, we have 13 employees (including the original two) working in the same building which has been enlarged to 4,000 square feet. We have continually added services and products and have become the largest violin shop in the Western United States.
In recent years, it has become more and more difficult to find fine string
instruments. A rapidly growing number of gifted students and professionals
are seeking a limited supply of old instruments which are still in good
playing condition. This makes the job of the violin dealer ever more difficult.
Over the years, we have helped many hundreds of musicians and collectors
find an instrument that is just right for their individual playing style
and musical needs. Musicians frequently search all over the country to find
the right instrument. Because of our stature in the violin community, we
are frequently offered fine instruments to buy. In recent years, our collection
has included the works of such makers as Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, Guadagnini
(J.B. and various other members of the family), Maggini, Deconet, Pressenda,
Rocca, Storioni, Ceruti, Vuillaume, Lupot, among many others. We are especially
proud of our collection of the modern Italian masters such as Scarampella,
Bisiach, Antoniazzi, Pollastri, Degani, among many others. In recent years,
the modern Italians have increased in value far faster than any other violins.
We always have good examples of these works available.Many musicians feel that the choice of a bow is as important or even more important than the selection of an instrument. The bow would ideally match the playing style of the musician and bring out the optimum sound of the instrument. Like violins, fine bows are increasing rapidly in price and are in great demand. We have always had a fine selection of bows available. We have recently offered the works of almost all of the important French makers such as Tourte, Peccatte, Voirin, Simon, Pajeot, Lamy, Sartory, and other makers such as Tubbs, Dodd, Bausch, Knopf, and many, many more. We also have a good selection from the most important French, German, and English workshops such as Bazin, Morizot, Thibouville-Lamy, Nurnberger, Pfretzschner, and Hill. Even more so than with instruments, condition of a bow is of utmost importance and we pride ourselves on the condition and quality of everything we sell. A bow with a repair to the stick or head area is best avoided unless you are fully aware of the condition and it is offered at a very low price.We invite your inquiries about our collection.
Since 1981, Jay Ifshin (a member of the Appraisers Association of America) has developed a reputation as a highly respected expert in fine string instruments and bows. We are called and visited virtually every day by musicians, collectors, and other dealers who seek advice and council regarding their instruments and bows. Perhaps you have an instrument or bow that has been in your possession for many years or is a family heirloom. It may be a more recent acquisition. If you need a formal appraisal for insurance purposes or a certificate of authenticity in order to establish the name or school of the maker, or simply would like more information about what you possess, please feel free to give us a call to make an appointment. Naturally, we must see an instrument or bow before we can give you any kind of appraisal.
Many musicians feel that a violin shop is only as good as its repair
and restoration workshop. The great violin shops of the past were not only
famous for their selection of instruments and bows but for the quality of
their repair and restoration workshop. The names of the heads of these workshops
are almost as famous as the shop itself. We are very proud of our repair
and restoration shop. Headed by Haide Lin, our shop does only the highest
quality repair work, whether it is simply glueing of an open seam or a highly
complex restoration of a fine old Italian violin. Much of the reputation
of Ifshin Violins is based on the quality of work done in our repair shop.
Our craftsmen are violin makers with an average of 20 years experience in
violin making and restoration. If your violin, viola, cello, or bass is
in need of repair, bring it to us. We are sure you will be delighted with
the results.
Whether it be strings, a shoulder rest or chin rest, cake of rosin or any other accessory, we offer some of the lowest prices and best service anywhere. If you can't visit our shop, call us and we will be delighted to ship you whatever you need at the same discount prices. We will send you your order the same day we recieve it, and in addition, will give advice from our staff of musicians who are very familiar with everything we sell. Please call us for our free string and accessory catalog.
For those of you who are looking for an instrument for a more modest investment, you need look no further than our exclusive Jay Haide instruments. These instruments are totally hand-made under our direction, using the same techniques used by the old European master makers.In the last several years that we have been offering these fine instruments they have been a big success. Teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as many from around the country are strongly recommending them to all of their students. We are also finding that professional musicians are purchasing them for a second ( and sometimes first) instruments. The violins are priced from $795 for the model 101 up to $1950 for the fine model 201. Violas are priced from $1800 to $2800. Cellos range from $2600 to $3800. We will be delighted to send one for you to try.
In November of 1994, Ifshin Violins took over the operation of Berkeley Violin Center which has maintained a successful string instrument rental business since the 1930's. In the short time since we purchased the business, we have more than doubled the stock of violins, violas, cellos, and basses. We can now offer a wide range of well-maintained string instruments, including our fine Jay Haide violins, violas, and cellos. We feel that we are able to offer the very best in string instrument rentals at the most affordable rates. Call our rental department at (510) 843-5486 for more information.