Why We Hand-Select Every Violin, Viola, and Cello

In today's market flooded with mass-produced stringed instruments, discerning string players face a critical question: How do you know you're getting a quality instrument that will serve you well for years to come? At StringWorks, our answer is simple yet revolutionary in an industry that has largely abandoned this practice—I personally hand-select every single instrument that bears our name and our experts rigorously inspect each one before it ever reaches your hands.

The Problem with "Order and Ship"

Most retailers in our price range operate on what I call the "order and ship" model. They simply place orders with workshops and have instruments shipped directly from warehouse shelves to customers. We've maintained a fundamentally different approach. This conventional method might be efficient for inventory turnover, but it completely abandons quality control at the most critical stage: before the instrument ever leaves the shop.

When competitors order in bulk and ship directly, they're essentially gambling with your investment. You might receive an exceptional instrument, or you might get one with subtle but significant flaws that will affect playability, sound quality, and longevity. The difference can be substantial, even among instruments from the same maker and model line.

My Journey to Expertise: From University to Auction House to StringWorks

My commitment to instrument quality isn't theoretical—I built it on decades of hands-on experience with some of the world's finest stringed instruments. As the former curator of the stringed instrument collection at USC, I spent years performing repairs and maintenance on instruments worth tens of thousands of dollars. This work taught me not just how to fix problems, but more importantly, how to identify potential issues before they become costly repairs.

Following my tenure at USC, I founded and led the Musical Instruments Department at the renowned auction house Butterfield & Butterfield, where I served as the expert-in-charge. In this role, I evaluated, authenticated, and appraised countless instruments, developing an eye for the subtle details that separate exceptional instruments from merely adequate ones. This experience reinforced a crucial truth: even instruments from reputable makers can vary significantly in quality, and this expertise makes all the difference.

Throughout my curatorial work and my subsequent career at Butterfield & Butterfield, I also performed professionally as a cellist in Los Angeles for 20 years, including 17 years with the Los Angeles Opera and dozens of major motion picture soundtracks. This dual perspective—as both a performing musician and instrument expert—gave me unique insight into what makes an instrument truly exceptional from a player's standpoint, not just a technical one.

When I established StringWorks toward the end of my career at Butterfield & Butterfield, I wanted to bring this level of expertise to musicians who deserved better than the "luck of the draw" approach that dominates our industry.

Our Multi-Stage Inspection Process: What We Look For

Every instrument that enters our inventory undergoes our comprehensive inspection process, which begins with my personal hand-selection and continues through additional expert evaluation by our head luthier. Here's what we examine:

The StringWorks Advantage: Two Levels of Expert Inspection

What truly sets us apart is our two-stage expert evaluation process. After I personally hand-select each instrument based on my decades of experience, our head luthier conducts an additional thorough inspection before any setup work begins. This means that before your instrument even receives its final setup—the critical adjustments that optimize playability—it has already passed inspection by two experts with extensive experience in instrument evaluation and repair.

This dual-inspection approach catches issues that single-person evaluation might miss and ensures that we only invest our setup time and expertise in instruments worthy of the StringWorks name.

Protecting Your Investment: Why Expert Selection Matters

Bowed stringed instruments represent a significant financial investment—often thousands of dollars—and you deserve the assurance that the utmost effort and care has been taken before that investment reaches your hands. When you're spending this much on an instrument that will hopefully serve you for decades, quality this important requires expert selection.

When you purchase a stringed instrument, you're making an investment in your musical journey. Whether you're a student just beginning or a professional performer, you deserve an instrument that will support your growth rather than hold you back. Our rigorous selection and inspection process means:

• Immediate playability: Your instrument arrives ready to inspire, not frustrate
• Long-term reliability: We've already identified and removed instruments with potential future problems
• True value: You receive an instrument that performs at the top of its price range, not the bottom

Standing Behind Our Process: The StringWorks Lifetime Guarantee

The depth of our inspection process isn't just about quality—it's about confidence. Because we put so much care and expertise into every instrument before it leaves our shop, we can confidently offer our lifetime guarantee. You can't do this when you're simply ordering from inventory and hoping for the best. Our guarantee reflects our absolute commitment to the instruments we select and the process that selects them.

The Cost of Cutting Corners

In an industry where many retailers have shifted focus to volume and margins, we've made the opposite choice. Yes, our process is more time-intensive and expensive than simply ordering and shipping. But the cost of receiving a subpar instrument—in terms of both musical development and potential repair expenses—far exceeds the value of our careful selection process.

Experience You Can Trust

At StringWorks, when we say every instrument has been hand-selected, we mean it literally. This isn't marketing language—it's our fundamental business practice. My background as an instrument curator, auction house expert, and luthier, combined with our team's dedication to quality, ensures that your investment in a StringWorks instrument is protected by decades of professional experience and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

The difference between ordering from inventory and hand-selecting from available stock might seem subtle, but for musicians who understand the importance of their instrument, it's everything. When you choose StringWorks, you get more than an instrument—you get decades of expertise. We ensure you receive the finest example of whichever instrument you select.

Ready to experience the StringWorks difference? Browse our violins, violas, and cellos—each one personally evaluated and approved by our team of experts. Or take advantage of our 14-day in-home trial to experience the difference for yourself.

     Todd French, Founder/President