Repairs & Restorations

I came to lutherie (instrument repair) and bowmaking in 2020 when I decided to take a course that had been only ever offered before in person, but thanks to the pandemic had been moved to a virtual space. With three children and a fourth on the way, this took something that would have been otherwise impossible and made it possible. I completed my first course on bow rehairing through the University of New Hampshire Violin Craftsmanship Institute in the final weeks of pregnancy, falling in love with the detail-oriented work and signed up immediately for the next course available on bow repairs, and have since taken several more courses.

The first couple of years was spent really digging into bows as a specialty, learning how to make them by hand. When life brought me to rural Nova Scotia, it only made sense to expand my skill set and offerings to include working on instruments as well as bows. I am still early in my lutherie journey and have much to learn. I am always very up front with my clients about what work I feel confident taking on and when I need to refer clients to someone with more experience in the field. I take this work very seriously, and am very “fussy” over the small details. I’ll always take my time and give the job the very best I have, and the best I have will only get better with time.

I often tell folks that a rehair is much like an oil change. To keep your bow in great shape (for centuries if done regularly), regular rehairing service is crucial. As you play, the hair of the bow can break and wear down, which we can typically see. The hair will also stretch over time, altering the balance point (and thus, the playability) of the bow. With a rehair at Riverbend Strings, your bow will undergo a complete inspection and cleaning of all parts in addition to installation of fresh, high-quality horsehair. The bow is finished with an application of French polish that will ensure the wood continues to be protected over the years.

If you have specific requests for horsehair, please ask as I have multiple varieties available.

If you are a professional player, we recommend rehairing twice a year during the changing of seasons. Other players can usually make a rehair last for a year to two years, depending on their bow care habits.

One of my personal favourite things to do and is not offered by most shops is custom colourful bow work. I have a variety of colours and types of horsehair available, and any dyed hair is dyed with natural fibres in mind so as to maintain the structural integrity of the hair itself. We can add a single colour, a combination, ombre, or a full rainbow.

We also have a lot of opportunities for customization with grips and windings. We can use classic colours and materials to create elegant and unique windings, or colourful silk and leather to give a fun and surprising pop of colour. And one of my personal favourites – coded windings done using thread and a numerical system to essentially encode meaning into your winding. You can have names, special dates, meaningful words, whatever you can think of can be encoded into a winding for something one of a kind that will forever carry a special meaning for you.

And we do have available all of the traditional materials and associated colours if you are looking for more straightforward restoration.

If you have specific requests for horsehair, please ask as I have multiple varieties available. Custom coloured hair can be added and we have many options available, including, red, purple, pink, blue, and silver.

We offer many winding options including sterling silver, nickel-coated copper, silk, whalebone, and tinsel.

My main skill set is in bows (rehairs, restoration, and making), but I am learning basic skills for setup and repair of bowed instruments as well so that I can maintain my rentals and offer these services to folks who may need work on their own. I’m always learning new things to grow my skill set and would be happy to do my best to accommodate your instrument repair requests.