Stringed Victory

A violin is the European sports car of the stringed instrument world. Like its siblings the viola, cello and double bass, the violin requires pampering, attenuation to detail and regular visits to the shop to keep it in peak performance mode. But afterwards, in the hands of a master musician, the payoff is absolutely worth all the effort.

Like a Lamborghini owner, a violin owner shouldn't trust the care of his or her instrument to just any ol' shop. For optimal performance onstage, it's always best to opt for the best. Tucked away downtown in the historic Brady Arts District, the Tulsa Violin Shop, 220 N. Main, is just that: the premium violin repair and sales facility in the region.

Housed in what was once a hotel in the 1920s, the Tulsa Violin Shop opened its doors for business in 1996. Owner Louis Lynch--himself a professional cellist for the Tulsa Philharmonic from '83-'92--recalls the early days when he was the sole employee and lived in the back of his shop. Before then, violin repair wasn't so easy to come by in Tulsa.

"There was a retired gentleman who did repairs as a hobby, and that was it" says Lynch. "So I started doing school repairs and the business just kinda took off from there."

Lynch learned his craft out of necessity during the years he spent as a professional musician.

"I spent a lot of time in violin shops," he says, "It just came naturally to me. Plus, I had a good mentor."

These days, business is so brisk that Lynch needs four employees to keep up with the public demand. His staff includes instrument repairmen Phil Wachowski, Bryan Campbell, and new recruit Roger Harrison who studied at the prestigious Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, UT. Rounding out the team is customer service specialist (and freelance trombonist) Doug Fletcher.

While instrument repair is an important aspect of the Tulsa Violin Shop's business, sales generate the bulk of their revenue, says Lynch. The shop offers a wide selection of new and used violins, violas, cellos and basses ranging in price from $475 beginner models to $10,000 professional level instruments. The repair staff's main job, in fact, is adjusting (or "setting up") new instruments.

"We buy our instruments unadjusted from the manufacturer," says Lynch. "Typically, a general music store--whose staff doesn't have the expertise that we have--will buy their instruments set up at the factory, which is good but not to the standards that we can achieve. What we do here is a professional set up. All the details are attended to."

As it turns out, setting up a stringed instrument from the violin family is a time intensive process--one that only happens if the instrument is deemed worthy. "It's not uncommon for us to send instruments back to the manufacturer once or twice before we finally get one we're willing to keep," says Lynch. "We have very high standards."

Picky, Pizzicato

Once Lynch and his team approve of a new instrument, they carefully inspect it for flaws such as an uneven or bumpy fingerboard. In most cases, says Lynch, fingerboards need to be planed to achieve maximum smoothness.

Next, tuning pegs are installed as well as the sound post--an adjustable peg inside the instrument between the back and top. After that, the bridge--a precisely cut piece of maple that forms the lower anchor point of the strings--is fitted.

Then, every other piece of the instrument is scrutinized and replaced or repaired if deemed necessary.

Finally, the instrument is strung up and allowed to sit in the humidity-controlled shop so the neck can properly bend into shape. After a few months the back of the instrument will begin to stretch, requiring further adjustments to the sound post.

"The whole process of setting up an instrument takes some time," says Lynch. "The instrument has to acclimate to the string tension. To do a set up on a cello literally takes between 35-40 hours...in order to pay attention to all those details."

It's precisely all that attention to detail that brings professional players from around Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Tulsa Violin Shop. "People call us from all over the country for miscellaneous accessories and instruments," says Lynch. "We're the only full-service shop between Houston and Kansas City. There are other shops around...but we're the most qualified. If someone owns a Stradivarius or Guarneri they come here."

Needless to say, Tulsa Violin has cornered the professional symphony musician market in Tulsa. One of those professionals is Signature Symphony concertmaster Maureen O'Boyle, whose 150-year-old French violin is currently in the shop for adjustment.

"She'll be playing a concerto in February, so her violin is in for a tune up," says Harrison. "We want to have it in the best possible adjustment for her performance...this is the best time to do that. There'll be a process of back and forth with her, trying different strings and that sort of thing. It's a lot of fun. Discerning players really know what they want. I learn a lot from working with a player like her."

On the other end of the spectrum, Lynch encourages beginners and intermediate players to visit his shop as well. For those looking to buy their first instrument, he strongly advises against skimping. Quality begets quality, after all. He advises novices to look for an instrument with a spruce top; maple ribs, back and neck; and an ebony fingerboard and tailpiece.

"The most important thing is that you have an instrument made with good basic materials," says Lynch. "It's easy to buy an instrument online for $125...but typically it's not going to have a proper set-up or be made out of good materials."

Tulsa Violin Shop's hours are Tues.-Fri. 9:30am-5pm; Sat. 9:30am-2pm; or by appointment. For more info call 582-1942 or visit www.tulsaviolin.com.