Instrument and Bow Sales:

Finding an instrument at the Long Island Violin Shop will be a delightful adventure.  We listen to your needs, explain and demonstrate your options, and collaborate with your teacher to assist your decision.

What sets the Long Island Violin Shop apart is our service and expertise, where finding a new instrument or bow will be a delightful adventure.     

After listening to your needs, we explain and demonstrate different choices, collaborate with your teacher and assist your decision.   

Since 1983 we’ve helped thousands of customers, from students who never purchased an instrument before to experienced professional musicians. Our reputation for thoughtful attention to individual needs, integrity, and honesty has been earned one client at a time. 

Whether you are looking for a new instrument or bow, a step-up, or your dream-come-true, you will be able to choose from select instruments and bows in a broad range of prices. 

And when you have chosen your new instrument, our famous Service After Sale will help you get the most out of your purchase.  We will help you keep your instrument in tip-top shape, protect your investment, and look after your long-term interests.

Choosing an instrument or bow from the Long Island Violin Shop will offer you many benefits; read on to learn more!

Setups and Tone Adjustments:

Every instrument in our shop has been individually adjusted by our team of luthiers who have experience in the finest shops of Europe and America, and we pride ourselves on providing a level of workmanship equivalent to that found in world music centers.

What Is a Setup and a Tone Adjustment and Why Should I care?

Setup is what comprises the final steps in transforming a violin into a playable musical instrument.  This includes the pegs, fingerboard, bridge, soundpost, and other parts that position the strings in place.

A properly executed set-up renders an instrument comfortable, easy to play, and sounding well.  Pegs should turn smoothly and stay in tune.  A properly shaped fingerboard and nut conform to accepted specifications which allow musicians to play comfortably and in tune.  A bridge and soundpost that have been calibrated to allow the instrument to produce its best tone make it a joy to play. 

Even fine instruments can be spoiled with problematic setups.  In fact, a significant amount of the work of our repair shop involves improving the playability and comfort of our clients’ instruments.

Student instruments with bad setups may have low prices but at great cost for musicians; it may be painful to hold down the strings, difficult to tune the instrument properly, frustrating to create a nice tone, and impossible to learn with enthusiasm.

Tone adjustment is the final arrangement and dynamic balancing of the aforementioned parts, ensuring that they work together to enhance the tone and playability of the instrument. 

All the components the set-up, with the exception of the fingerboard and nut, are not glued down.  Consequently, tiny adjustments may accommodate each player’s unique style as well as account for seasonal changes in the instrument’s tonal character. 

Because violins are made of wood, they respond to weather and humidity changes.  In winter necks tend to get higher and drop in summer.  The player experiences this not only as strings that are too high or too low,  but will notice distinct changes in the voice of the instrument, which may sound screechy and harsh, or soggy and lacking in any power or resistance.

These situations are minor issue which can be addressed with a tonal adjustment, and make an adjustment a necessary part of the regimen of any serious musician.