The bass was dropped resulting in an open seam and damage to the bridge and strings, as well as the soundpost falling out of position (it wasn’t well fitting to begin with.) It’s always a fun change to work on a bass, but also a relief to have this job finished; my workshop feels very spacious now!
Considering it has been sitting unplayed in a cellar for around three decades, this cello wasn’t in bad condition. Some previous damage had left with it a couple of bad cracks along the front, but they had been adequately repaired and appeared to still be solid.
The main issues were the expected bridge and soundpost and a set of strings, as well as a new endpin and a little work on the pegs. Now after a long hiatus it can get back to being a played instrument.
This cello was in last week for a new bridge as the previous one had snapped in half! A new soundpost and fingerboard reshoot also helped with getting the best out of it (yes, last week I was wading in ebony shavings!)
The bridge on this cello was incredibly low, and this combined with a lumpy fingerboard meant that a lot of notes, especially up in the top register, were impossible to play clearly. The nut was was very high meaning that the strings were uncomfortable to hold down in first position.
A new bridge, soundpost and fingerboard reshoot and some new strings should all help bring out the best in this distinctive instrument. As a bonus, the wolf note seems to have gone!
Banjo in for some setup work today. Fret level, truss rod adjustment and a new bridge to warm the sound up a bit!
This cello came in last week for a new set of pegs as the old ones were slipping and impossible to reshape sufficiently. The soundpost was also severely out of position, so we decided to fit a new one. Finally, the tailpiece was also attached with some very old and dry tailgut and was perhaps only holding on because the pegs wouldn’t actually hold full string tension any more.
This violin needed pretty much a full setup, with new pegs, bridge, soundpost, endpin and tailpiece (and of course strings!) It also needed a neck reset to achieve an appropriate elevation. Very happy to have got it into playing condition for its young owner to pursue her music studies 
Guitar came in for some general playability adjustments. Fret level, truss rod adjustment, saddle height and nut adjustments and new strings. It’s a pretty standard set of procedures to reach the goal of low action without buzzing, but every instrument has its own idiosyncrasies of course.
This cello came in for some general sprucing up and optimisation. I retouched a few scratches and chips on the front as well as doing a fingerboard reshoot to deal with some warping over the years. I also fitted a new soundpost, bridge and strings.
Took a break from the bench this morning to trudge through the snow and pick up a batch of business cards from Pinders Sheffield . This new design now incorporates my logo, courtesy of One Of These Daisies – ATKY (and a QR code to access my contact form – traditional crafts meet the 21st century!)
