violin setup Violin repair costs

[BakerV]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I hope I've done it correctly..I've just bought an old violin off of Amati Auctions. It has no tail piece, strings or bridge but does have pegs. Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it. It needs no repairs as the auction report stated it only has 2 very small old filled cracks.

Thanks guys.

[Wood Butcher]

There is no fixed price for what you ask.

The price of work varies with the experience and quality of the person doing the work. A luthier dealing with top professional players will produce superior results, in comparison to Billy Bob’s back woods shack, which will only produce a mess.

However, as an example, the place I use charges €300 for a violin bridge, €150 for a sound post, €150 to shoot the fingerboard…

[nathan slobodkin]

7 minutes ago, Wood Butcher said:

There is no fixed price for what you ask.

The price of work varies with the experience and quality of the person doing the work. A luthier dealing with top professional players will produce superior results, in comparison to Billy Bob’s back woods shack, which will only produce a mess.

However, as an example, the place I use charges €300 for a violin bridge, €150 for a sound post, €150 to shoot the fingerboard…

Wow! I think I’m going to raise my prices.

May I ask where you are located?

[Michael Richwine]

Out here in the American Midwest, they still deal with top professional players worldwide, but cost of doing business isn't so great. Here's a sampling of a very good local shop charges: K C Strings common repair list

[GoPractice]

22 minutes ago, Wood Butcher said:

 ( ... )

The price of work varies with the experience and quality of the person doing the work. A luthier dealing with top professional players will produce superior results, in comparison to Billy Bob’s back woods shack, which will only produce a mess.

 ( ... )

Perhaps this is too much of a generalization? A considerate luthier, who might ask questions to better get to know the customer might perhaps be very expensive, professional or amateur. Or not.

In my travels, I have met plenty of excellent luthiers with varied experience in more remote locales. The connection to the customer and their needs might dictate the cost.

I did pay a friend recently to fit a 50+yr old DeLuxe bridge which I supplied for $300usd ( just for labor ) for a student. It added value to the instrument, while my set up, would not have meant much to the students parents.

There are reasons why there are good set ups. There might be reasons why there are expensive set ups.   

[GoPractice]

Yes, that was with the friend's and family discount.

[Violadamore]

3 hours ago, BakerV said:

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I hope I've done it correctly..I've just bought an old violin off of Amati Auctions. It has no tail piece, strings or bridge but does have pegs. Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it. It needs no repairs as the auction report stated it only has 2 very small old filled cracks.

Thanks guys.

[Looks up from cutting a bridge.]  Welcome to the forum!  It sounds like you're learning about some "hidden costs of buying a violin", unrelated to the buying process (see here for those that are), that seldom seem to get enough consideration before the purchase. 

Depending on how expensive your purchase was, if it was rather inexpensive, have you considered learning and equipping to do your own setups?  Besides possibly saving you money (particularly for follow-on maintenance, and performance tweaking), it can give you a priceless feeling of accomplishment, as well as greater personal involvement with your violin. 

[David Burgess]

16 minutes ago, GoPractice said:

In my travels, I have met plenty of excellent luthiers with varied experience in more remote locales. The connection to the customer and their needs might dictate the cost.

If I need to spend several hours drinking beers with a customer, in order to establish an adequate "connection", of course, I will need to charge an hourly rate for that. More if I'm buyin' the beer.

[Violadamore]

13 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

If I need to spend several hours drinking beers with a customer, in order to establish an adequate "connection", of course, I will need to charge an hourly rate for that. More if I'm buyin' the beer.

Like!!!! 

Of course, depending on who the customer is, couldn't the receipts lead to some pointed questions after you get home?  

[GoPractice]

9 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

If I need to spend several hours drinking beers with a customer, in order to establish an adequate "connection", of course, I will need to charge an hourly rate for that. More if I'm buyin' the beer.

Was it your wife that was involved with trade/ business/ economics with Asia? Creating relationships often take months if not years in certain cultures. Often Patience and Understanding is paramount and that might result in nothing. It is not diplomacy...

My experience has been that the most difficult customer is the one who does not know what they want. At shops, educating the customer should be part of the business plan, but so many customers ( parents ) can not choose between clearly established options.

Of course, some customers want the best pricing possible... the difficulty of purchasing at auctions with non- prepped instruments is that without experience, it is difficult for the amateur to achieve satisfaction. This is the other type of education, learn the hard way. Auctions are a gamble. It was suggested that I attend if the intent was to buy. I do make Proxy ( friends ) purchases, but only because our level of communication ( not necessarily knowledge ) is reasonable.

At an auction, I will sometimes call/ text/ email with photos to certain repair techs to verify what the actual expense might be, and the possible/ actual time frame to when the instrument is playable. And I will repay for consultations with drinks, strings, food or a combination of the two. No substitutions, please.

I rather think that when anyone consults with you, that you are likely the one that is doing the vetting. 

[GoPractice]

Sorry, meant to say that though both sides might benefit, it is less a monetary transaction, but diplomacy. The process may not be worth the time expenditure.

[jacobsaunders]

2 hours ago, BakerV said:

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I hope I've done it correctly..I've just bought an old violin off of Amati Auctions. It has no tail piece, strings or bridge but does have pegs. Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it. It needs no repairs as the auction report stated it only has 2 very small old filled cracks.

Thanks guys.

That’s the famous “how long is a piece of string?” question, if I might say so

[deans]

The only meaningful answer would be from the shop that you intend to take it. And even then only after it is in hand should you expect an estimate. Figure bridge, sound post, strings as a minimum of $300 plus whatever fittings. Of course there could be a thousand other things that an auctioneer might be unaware of (or aware of) that could drive the costs through the roof. 

[Andreas Preuss]

Looks as if you are throwing yourself into market research on who is doing the best job on the repair plus setup. 
While it is easy to look on the total figure of an estimate it is much more difficult to figure out how good or bad the result will be. Shops with a good reputation are more expensive but keep closer to their promises. 
 

If I see a customer bringing me in such a repair plus setup I usually split my estimate in two sections: absolutely necessary repairs and optional repairs or things which fall more into the category of cosmetic repairs. The latter meets the condition that it can be done later without big hassle or redoing anything. Then I let the customer decide how many items on the list he/she wants to get done. I also always point out things I find risky (if there is anything like this). I find it important that the customer knows that there are things where the repairperson cannot hundred percent guarantee the outcome because of possible complications. This avoids more than often disappointments especially if the repair is aiming at ‘sound improvement’. Otherwise I keep photographic track of before and after repair which serve as a demonstration for new customers that they can literally see what they can expect.

Customers usually feel that their instrument is in safe hands and this in return makes them often decide to take some or all optional repairs. Customers with a tight budget are happy with the necessary repairs. I have also prices reflecting two levels which are ‘standard’ and ‘sound plus’. In the first category I do clean work with standard procedures to make everything functional. This gives basically no warrantee for the best possible sound adjustment. For example I charge for a standard violin bridge only 100$, but for a sound plus bridge 200$. The difference is that for the latter I invest some time in sound checking and readjusting whatever I think is necessary to get closer to an envisioned sound result.

 

 

[Jeffrey Holmes]

12 hours ago, BakerV said:

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I hope I've done it correctly..I've just bought an old violin off of Amati Auctions. It has no tail piece, strings or bridge but does have pegs. Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it. It needs no repairs as the auction report stated it only has 2 very small old filled cracks.

Thanks guys.

Where are you located and what is the fiddle?

[matesic]

Since the deed is already done, why not just take it to your local luthier and ask for an estimate? It really isn't a good idea to start with preconceived ideas, particularly not ideas conned from a selection of "advisors" none of whom have seen the instrument.

[FiddleDoug]

That's a bit of a loaded question. The cost of a set of violin strings can range widely! A quick search on Amazon shows prices from 3 for $10, to $140. Tailpiece costs will also vary widely. Bridge blanks can be just a few $ or up to maybe $30-40, and then there's the cost of getting it cut to fit. You mention that the violin has pegs, but you don't know if they work.

When everything is added up, the cost might be as low as $150, or if you go whole hog, several hundred $. The only way to figure it out is to take it to a luthier, and discuss the options.

[Christopher Jacoby]

Yeah...tell us where you're located and we can offer advice on who to go to. The cost is a secondary consideration to the quality of work.

[Michael Darnton]

We buy a lot of violins at auction. Sometimes a bridge, post, and a set of strings will do it. Sometimes an instrument can look superficially OK and still need $3000 of work to "optimize"* it.

* referring to "Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it."

[waldguy]

Assuming all else on the Violin is "sound", You can save some dollars on DIY if you're not willing to spend a whole pile.

1. Strings and Tailpiece.  I would say that any player can and should learn to replace strings.  The tailpiece isn't hard either.  The main thing to concern yourself with there is just the length of the tailpiece gut/cord.  Sometimes it can be a nuisance dealing with a loose end pin.

2. Bridge. Many players with a set of sandpaper sheets, good calipers, and a sharp blade (larger and smaller) have shaped their own bridges.  Start with a cheap Chinese bridge for practice before working on your Aubert or Despiau.  You won't be custom shaping the bridge for nuances of sound, but you can get pretty close using standard measurements.

3. Pegs, Soundpost etc. -- probably best left to someone with the tools and experience, unless you have the inclination to experiment and just can't help yourself and don't care a whole lot about the outcome.

[FiddleDoug]

1 hour ago, waldguy said:

Assuming all else on the Violin is "sound", You can save some dollars on DIY if you're not willing to spend a whole pile.

1. Strings and Tailpiece.  I would say that any player can and should learn to replace strings.  The tailpiece isn't hard either.  The main thing to concern yourself with there is just the length of the tailpiece gut/cord.  Sometimes it can be a nuisance dealing with a loose end pin.

2. Bridge. Many players with a set of sandpaper sheets, good calipers, and a sharp blade (larger and smaller) have shaped their own bridges.  Start with a cheap Chinese bridge for practice before working on your Aubert or Despiau.  You won't be custom shaping the bridge for nuances of sound, but you can get pretty close using standard measurements.

3. Pegs, Soundpost etc. -- probably best left to someone with the tools and experience, unless you have the inclination to experiment and just can't help yourself and don't care a whole lot about the outcome.

He did say " Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it.", not hack away at it himself. I seriously doubt that an untrained person could ever get "its best sound out of it"!

[waldguy]

On 4/30/2022 at 11:44 AM, FiddleDoug said:

He did say " Ball park figure how much will it be for a luthier to set it up to get its best sound out of it.", not hack away at it himself. I seriously doubt that an untrained person could ever get "its best sound out of it"!

Yes, and if it takes $1500 to get the best sound of it, one might just settle for $300 to get the second best sound out of it.

[matesic]

9 hours ago, waldguy said:

Yes, and if it takes $1500 to get the best sound of it, one might just settle for $300 to get the second best sound out of it.

Quite so. With what I assume to be a pretty ordinary violin I wonder how much difference there's likely to be between "best" and "second best" sound and who's likely to notice it? I think a compassionate luthier should only suggest work proportionate in price to the value of the instrument. If it isn't too drastic they might even grit their teeth and suggest the OP hack it at home.

[jacobsaunders]

We haven’t seen the OP violin, so everything seems pretty hypothetical in this thread to me. One might note that Amati auctions range from quite good, down to dustbin ready trash, where one wonders if one should go and get a tetanus injection afterwards or not. Also if I, for instance, have some strange urge to repair some junk from Amati, I would prefer to buy one for myself. Also, the ones that just need some pegs and a bridge are very much the minority

[outofnames]

Without knowing the first thing about the luthier business, I’ll just add that I suspect cost is greatly dependent upon location.

What I paid to get a seam closed is not what somebody in NYC would pay for the same.