Wall Independent
Violin
& Viola Set-up, Repair and Restoration
Custom
Woodworking and Consulting
Douglas
Wall
585-392-3478
Hours by
Appointment only
Email: dwall2 (at)
Rochester.rr.com
(You know what I mean. To avoid email
harvesters)
Wall
Independent specializes in violin and viola set-up, repair, restoration, and
sales. Hilton, NY is located near the south shore of Lake Ontario, just
northwest of Rochester, NY. We are about a 25 minute drive from the center of
Rochester. (How to find us) We are
located a short drive from the towns in western
My training includes courses with Hans Nebel at the
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Violin Workshops. This includes both
external and internal repairs, proper set-up, and some restoration work.
In June of 2007, I continued my education
with a week of training in bow rehairing and some
other bow work with Lynn Armour Hannings
at the University of New Hampshire, and a week of varnish retouching with Hans Nebel at MCLA.
My training continued in June of 2008,
with a week of neck resetting with Hans Nebel at
MCLA.
In June 2009, I continued my education
with another workshop at MCLA. It was a pleasure working with master restorer
Hans J. Nebel again. The topic for this years
workshop was block replacement and rib repair.
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LATEST NEWS FROM
WALL INDEPENDENT
07/08 We
just got back from a two week tour in Ireland with the Dady
Brothers. Had a great time! Saw lots, and heard some great music. Click here for details
Organ Trophy (1724), St. Michan’s Church,
10/08 Latest updates to the “Latest in the Shop” pages
will be indexed, and show some updates on projects.
01/09 Here’s something that I’ll be evaluating. The
Wrist Assistant™. It’s to help students learn correct wrist posture.
Click on the picture for
a link to Wristassistant.com.
I should have one in for evaluation soon. If I
get interest in this product, I’ll stock some for my local clients, at a very
reasonable price.
04/09 I’m offering an experimental bow head spline material to my fellow luthiers.
This is a Micarta sheet, about 0.028” thick. It’s
available for $3.00 (US) plus a stamped, self addressed envelope, for a 3 inch
by 6 inch sheet (enough for many bows!). Contact me for further details. See
“What’s in the Shop”.
04/09 My other job, at Townsend Associates, has some
interesting things going on. If you travel through O’Hare Airport, in
06/09 I’ve just returned from another workshop with
master restorer, Hans J. Nebel. This years topic was
block replacement and rib repair. The instruments that I had along to work on
didn’t have any really tricky repairs (I just replaced blocks and linings, and
shortened ribs), but one of the interesting things in the class is to see how
other luthiers in the class are dealing with repairs
on their instruments. Master violin maker Sonja St. John was one of the other
attendees, and she did a masterful job of repairing a through hole in a rib.
Master restorer Hans J. Nebel putting a patch under
the upper block area in an
instrument, prior to replacing
the block and reattaching the ribs
09/09 I
have just become an authorized dealer for the fine line of instruments and
accessories carried by the Howard Core
Company. Their line includes the Kohr instruments,
and a wide variety of accessories including their own line of cases, and the
exceptional cases offered by GEWA
and Negri.
11/09 I
needed to get some “Bow Bags” to protect my client’s bows after rehairing. These are 1.5 mil poly bags, 2” wide, and about 34”long. To keep my cost down, I purchased a
large quantity of this material, and I’m offering the bags for sale to luthiers and shops. I’m making them up in bunches of ten,
and bags of 50 (five bunches of ten)
Prices: $3.00/10, $14.00/50. NYS sale tax applies to
See my Shop page for more details.
Click this link. Bow Bags
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I am pleased to be able to offer the
following lines of instruments and accessories to my clients:
The John
Juzek™ line of new instruments.
The
fine line of Eastman Strings instruments.
Fine
Instruments and cases from the Howard
Core Company, including Kohr instruments, Core
cases, GEWA and Negri cases.
Cadenza
and K. Holtz bows from Eastman Strings.
Kun™
Shoulder rests,
D’Addario bowed strings.
As
I am mostly a luthier, and my shop is in my home, my
stock of new instruments and cases is limited. Please contact me if you’re
interested in any of the instruments or cases from my suppliers to discuss
price and availability.
I’ll
also be carrying some other accessories such as rosin. I’ll continue to expand
my offerings to fill the needs of my clients. If you have something that you
would like to get, or have me carry, contact me to see if I have it, or can get
it for you.
Thinking
of buying an inexpensive violin from an internet dealer? Click on the VSO link
below.
|
(Violin
Shaped Object) |
My philosophy: Quality work at a reasonable price, and
have the instrument back to the player’s hands as soon as possible.
Wall Independent currently accepts cash or checks. New York State
sales pay NYS sales tax (Monroe County, 8%).
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Some of the services that I can provide are:
*Cleaning and
polishing
*Fingerboard planning and
replacement
*String
installation
*Peg fitting and replacement
*Soundpost setting and
replacement
*Peg hole bushings
*Bridge
adjustment and
replacement
*Internal repairs, including bassbar work
*Nut adjustment and
replacement
*Varnish touch-up
*Crack and
seam repairs *Neck
resetting
*Bow rehairing
and minor repairs
I will work with you to determine how
much work needs to be done to bring your instrument into playable condition and
present you with an estimate for the work. My prices should be competitive to,
or lower than many other shops.
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Here’s a brief example of some work that I’ve done
on one instrument.
The instrument pictured below is a ¾ size Violin made in
Czechoslovakia, pre WWII.
The work that I’ve done on it includes; regraduation
of the top and back (Regraduation is controversial,
but in this case, necessary), new bassbar,
fingerboard, nut, saddle, bridge, pegs, tailpiece, and strings.
Below right is a picture of the inside of the top. You can
see the new bassbar, and also a linen patch that was
installed to reinforce a very thin spot at a high stress area near the saddle.
BOWS
Yes, I can also do bow rehairing,
and some repairs such as tip and frog repairs. Below are before and after
pictures of a ca. 1897 bow that I’ve worked on. The pearl eyes and slide on the
frog were replaced, and a new grip was installed. The bow was also rehaired.
The pernambuco used to make fine
bows has recently been declared an endangered species. There are only about
1200 trees left! I support the efforts of the International Pernambuco
Conservation Initiative (IPCI). One dollar from each bow rehair
will be donated to help with efforts to plant trees in Brazil to insure that
future generations will be able to play with pernambuco
bows. Conservation efforts also include keeping old bows in playing condition.
Old bows that many would consider to be junk can be refurbished and turned into
decent student bows.
Click on the picture to link to the ICPI website.
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INSTRUMENT RENTALS:
I’m just starting to carry a few instruments (violins and violas)
for rentals. I’ll adjust the number as time goes on to cover the demand. If
you’d like to rent an instrument, and I don’t have one, I can probably get one
in about a week.
** Instruments, Bows, and Accessories For Sale
and Rent **
Click above to see the instruments and accessories that we have
available.
USED/ VINTAGE
INSTRUMENTS AND BOWS:
My interest in repair and restoration leads me to seek out
instruments to work on for my own collection, to play, and to restore for
resale to a new owner. I would be interested to hear of any old instruments or
bows for sale. Condition is, of course, along with the quality of the
instrument or bow, a major factor in its value, either bought or sold.
The instrument on the right is a Fiddl-ette ca. 1930. This unusual instrument was sold by
the Gamble Hinged Music Co.. It was originally created by Edwin H. Bergh and
Carl Wheeler Mott as
an inexpensive student instrument. It was only produced in limited numbers for
a very few years, and sold in the Illinois and Wisconsin areas. (from my
personal collection) Click on the picture for an
enlarged view
Find out more about the Fiddl-ette
at http://www.vandercook.edu/archives/collections/hvbergh.htm
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In order to show the type of repair/restoration work that I’m
doing, I’ve set up a page so that you can see some of my current and past
projects.
Check here often to see what’s new.
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Wall Independent is
pleased to be an authorized dealer for Eastman Strings, Metropolitan Music,
Howard Core, GEWA and Negri cases, and D’Addario Strings.
Because of my low overhead, I can order
these instruments and accessories for my clients at a considerable discount
from the list price. I will also do a complete check on each instrument before
I release it from my shop. I can also custom outfit many of these instruments
with your choice of strings, pegs,
tailpiece and chinrest. For example, If you see a Juzek,
Eastman Strings, or Howard Core instrument that you like, but would prefer
Dominant strings and Rosewood fittings, I can probably do that for you at a
reasonable cost. Contact me for details
You can see the entire line of Juzek instruments
at:
You can see the entire line of Eastman
Strings instruments and bows at:
Here’s a link to the fine
instruments, cases, and accessories offered by the Howard Core Company:
Wall Independent is also a dealer for D’Addario products
I’ll be keeping a stock of bowed strings
to support my repair and restoration business and to sell to my local clients.
I’ll be stocking :
(Current prices are listed.
Prices may need to be adjusted, depending on my costs.)
Prelude violin strings
(steel core) $16.00 (violin)
Pro-Arte violin strings (Perlon
core) $26.00 (violin)
Helicore violin and viola
strings (multi-strand steel core) $32.00
(violin 4/4)
I’ve
used the Zyex strings on several instrument, with very nice
results. I’ll be using these strings for a lot of my restorations.
$36.00 (violin 4/4)
I’ll
be offering other D’Addario products (on a special
order basis) to my clients, at a substantial discount from the list price.
Contact me for details.
I’ll
also be keeping Thomastik-Infeld Dominant strings in stock, $42.00 (violin 4/4,
med).
I
can order most other strings on a special order basis, usually at very
competitive prices. Turn around time for special orders, is usually 3-4 days.
Contact me for a price quote and availability.
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Wall Independent also does
custom woodworking, custom assemblies, and consulting.
Some examples can be found at the CUSTOM WORK link
below.
Please contact us for further information.
Here’s a link to some other interesting stuff in our
world.
Check out Michael’s Guitar Page!
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Visit some of
our interesting neighbors and friends at their websites:
The Dady
Brothers. Great musicians and friends! 
www.dadybros.com
Fine Glass Art from Milon Townsend at: 
http://www.milontownsend.com
Scottish Highland cattle
and other neat stuff at: 
http://home.rochester.rr.com/highland/
More great Glass Art from
Sabra Richards at: 
http://web.mac.com/sabrarichards
Some great quilts and
fabric art from Anne Fischer at: 
http://annemfischer.com/index.html
We don’t do guitars. Stutzmans is great for that: 
http://www.stutzmansguitarcenter.com/
Violin and viola
instruction in Greece, NY with Greece Strings: 
http://www.greecestrings.com/
A comprehensive listing of
violin shops around the world: 
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Here’s a link to some other interesting stuff in our
world.
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St. Cecilia
Patron Saint of Musicians
and Luthiers
“sub titulo Sancta Caecilia”