Having built basses since 1983 and cellos since 1991, I have seen many changes over the years. I marketed my basses for many years with the slogan ‘Every fine old bass was once a fine new bass’. I am pleased with the number of basses I hear about from professional clients who have been playing my basses every day for up to 29 years. They all say that the bass just continues to get better. A large number of cellists who play my instruments have expressed similar experiences. I remember having to convince people that if an instrument sounds good new, it should just get better. There were a number of fears expressed about how an instrument that sounds good new will only deteriorate. I will only speak for myself, but am happy to report that for me this is quite largely not the case. Of course, the maintenance an instrument gets and how it is played also are important factors. I have often regretted that so many instruments of mine are so far away that I have not been able to personally attend to them.

I am nonetheless available to consult and am very happy to do so. It is my feeling today that needs have changed. Many people now need less convincing that new instruments can sound good. There is also a much wider range of price and quality in new instruments. These can be linked, and generally are, but it is my aim to be an exception. I feel that I need to price my instruments so that they will be an attractive option for more modest budgets without compromising the quality I have maintained over so many years of experience. This experience has also made me more efficient. Since the beginning, I have always constructed the instruments entirely by myself. I have always worked out of my home and have never hired help or taken on an apprentice. I feel that this has contributed to making my instruments consistent and helped me to keep prices reasonable. My business has almost always been global and since there are great fluctuations in exchange rates this can be challenging. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about your particular situation. If anything at all can be done, I’m glad to do so.