News

Gliga tell me that everything ordered before Oct 24th, except for one cello, will be on its way later this week. Further updates will go here in due course.

I am going to put all updates in the news section from now on rather than taking up space on the collections pages.  Any updates will go here. Here is the present position regarding Gliga: For the past year, Gliga have been in a position where they have been falling further and further behind with orders because demand outstrips supply.  The situation is quite easy to understand with a little thought: if the number of instruments made exceeds the number sold, stock builds up.  When this happens, many items are available immediately from stock and so orders can be filled...

Why mention Aberfan here?  Simply because several years ago David and I went to South Wales on Christmas day to deliver a cello. David remembered the Aberfan disaster very well and often spoke about it (despite only ever having known it from the news) and very much wanted to go to visit the memorial garden and the cemetery . So after delivering the cello, that is exactly what we did. It may seem like a very strange way to spend Christmas but both of us were in agreement that it was the best we had ever spent.

I have been offered a rare opportunity to become the first UK supplier of a particular brand of stringed instruments and bows made by a single Eastern European maker whose name I am not at liberty to disclose openly.  This maker was previously with a very well known European workshop and is now making bows for a German big name.  His own bows are pernambuco of course, with German fittings. His violins have been naturally dried for 15 years and are made from wood that is no longer widely available. The first batch which will consist of two 4/4 violins,...

When importing direct from overseas, you run the risk of something arriving like this.  It was actually stuck inside the case, the varnish stuck to the fabric, and now it has furry bits all over it! This isn't really anyone's fault.  This violin came from China at a hot time of the year.  Unfortunately in China it is hot in the summer.  Soft spirit varnish and heat do not mix.  This happened with a Romanian instrument too (though not quite this badly) and I have had similar things from China before (though with indented fingerprints rather than stuck on bits...