We’ve been excited about the International Society of Bassists convention being held in Bloomington this year ever since it was announced!  Encore has always had a soft spot for bassists and we are one of the few shops in the area with enough room to stock a great selection of basses, bows, bags, and accessories.  When the ISB approached us about providing the rental instruments for out-of-town attendees who couldn’t travel with their bass, we jumped at the opportunity!  While we are excited to partner with the ISB and serve the bass community, I didn’t expect to be loading 30 basses in a box truck this weekend!  I’m gonna need some help… The convention should be an amazing time!  If you can make it down, you should definitely check out the exhibit hall, masterclasses, performances, and all of the fun and fellowship in the tight-knit bass community!  Follow this link to see more: https://www.isbworldoffice.com/convention.asp If you’re down that way, say hello if you see me!

While the Coda Marquise GS – their new top offering – has been out in the wild for a while, I have not heard much formal feedback from owners at this point.  When one of our long time customers bought one six months ago, I asked him if you would write up a review after he’d spent time with it.  We first got to know him as a talented cellist in Fishers and he is now continuing his studies at a prestigious music school.  Read what he has to say: “I am a young cellist that has just finished my first year at the New England Conservatory of Music. For the entirety of my spring semester at NEC I have been using the Coda Marquise as my main bow. I particularly like the bow because it gives me the ability to create an extremely large sound with very little effort. I also find the fast bowings like when using spiccato are just simply made easy by the bow. In comparison to other carbon fiber bows I think the Marquise brings more color to the sound. However, when compared to my own wooden bow, I find that the Marquise still lacks

I recently used social media to ask my cellist friends what kind of rosin they liked to use.  I’ve been using the same rosin – Pirastro Oliv – for nearly twenty years.  My reasoning has always been the old, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  However, I started experimenting with my bowing technique and wondered if something with more “grab” would help.  All rosin creates the “stick” in the “stick/slip” motion of pulling the bow across the string.  Without rosin, the horsehair itself doesn’t create sufficient friction to fully activate the string.  While almost all rosin is processed tree resin at its core, various manufacturers add different ingredients to alter properties of the rosin. I’m going to give this “Wiedoeft” rosin a try on the recommendation from a friend.  I’ll report back on my results!  In the meantime, what is your favorite rosin…and why?  

While there is no way I could cover even an overview of violin family instrument varnish in a single blog post, it’s been on my mind this past week.  Several of the makers we work with either send me pictures of the instrument in various stages of construction, or post the pictures on social media.  Apart from working with my friends and customers, seeing the stages of a new instrument being built is one of my favorite parts of my job.  Without taking the analogy too far, it reminds me of seeing ultrasound images of my daughters – snapshots of the progress as the anticipation builds towards actually holding the instrument (baby) in my hands. While enhancing the beauty of the instrument, the purpose of the varnish is primarily to protect the wood from the environment.  It also has an impact on the sound of the instrument.  I’ve had the opportunity to play a “white” instrument (unvarnished) both while it is unvarnished and after the varnishing process.  The difference is profound but not necessarily easy to describe.  Varnish can be oil based or alcohol based, pigmented or unpigmented, etc.  The variations of color, texture, and antiquing are limitless.  Beautiful! This is

As I helped a cellist choose a bow last week, it struck me what a wide selection of cello bows we currently have at the shop.  In pernambuco bows, we have everything from nickel-mounted workshop bows all the way to gold-mounted, master-maker bows.  In carbon-fiber, we have the entire standard lineup of Coda bows including the Marquise GS.  We also have an interesting carbon-fiber bow from Arcus in Germany.  With 50+ cello bows between $375 and $12,000, this is a fantastic time to come in and find the perfect match for your instrument!  

A few weeks ago I shared two beautiful basses by Andrew Hassel of Chicago Bass Works that were in the shop.  We had previously helped match one of Andrew’s basses with a talented college student so we were excited to have his next two instruments in the shop.  When I saw them and played them, my initial reaction was that they were fantastic instruments that represented a clear evolution in Andrew’s making.  Apparently my opinion was shared by a local professional musician who bought one of them just two days later, and is also shared by a talented young musician who has now claimed the other one! It is a joy to bring wonderful instruments into the shop and offer them to musicians in our community.  If you are searching for the perfect instrument, or bow, or case, or even rosin…contact us.  Come and visit.  Give us a call.  We are here to help!  

Sound is a big part of what I do.  I realize that might sound obvious, but I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about the role of sound.  When shopping for an instrument or bow, I often hear statements like “sound is most important” or “it needs to have great sound”.  The basic assumption is often that sound is something easily quantifiable or that there are universal standards by which we can judge sound.  Another assumption I often encounter is that if someone is a great instrumentalist they will also be a great judge of sound.  The reality is that I know many great instrumentalists who, while being excellent at identifying sound that adheres to their personal ideal, do not have a great deal of experience analyzing and comparing sound. A long time hobby of mine is surprisingly helpful when it comes to analyzing and comparing sound.  For over twenty years, I have been involved in the hobby of high-fidelity audio.  Even this fairly small niche is divided into numerous subcategories, but for today’s purposes I’ll define it as the pursuit of reproducing recorded music in an authentic way.  For some people that means hearing what the recording engineer heard,

I love hearing about a new product in the cello world.  So much of what we use every day has been around for so long, and I find it wonderful that there are still new ideas and people willing to bring them to market.  Rostanvo was a name I’d never heard before when I stumbled onto it while reading a social media post from a friend.  I dug a little deeper and found that they were making highly regarded cello strings.  I had to try them!  What follows is my attempt to compare them to a set of Larsen Magnacore strings… Here’s a first take comparison between the Larsen Magnacore (medium tension) set and the Rostanvo (medium tension) set. The cello is a beautiful modern instrument by Eugene Holtier. The Larsen set has been on the cello for about 10 months and the Rostanvo set has been on the cello for only an hour. I shot the videos at 8am on barely two cups of coffee and it had been three days since I’d touched a cello. The videos were shot on my iPhone propped on a music stand about ten feet from the cello. All of this is to

Although I spend the bulk of my time in the shop, there are days I get to load up a couple of basses, grab a cup of coffee, cue up some Taylor Swift, and hit the road.  Today was such a day, delivering two basses to one of the professors at the IU Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington.  Although I take similar trips on behalf of violinists, violists, and cellists, there is something extra fun about bass road trips.  The thing is, basses are LARGE.  When bassists are looking for an instrument to purchase, they routinely have to rent full-size vans to bring instruments back from different shops on trial.  Because of the difficulty of moving these instruments around, bassists tend to be REALLY happy when people bring the basses to them!  Today, I took a beautiful bass by Andrew Hassel of Chicago Bass Works.  I also took a 5-string Shen bass.  The Shen was a last-minute addition and I’m curious what the reaction to it will be.  Not everyone is on board with the idea of a 5-string, and the Shen is a much less expensive instrument than most conservatory students would consider.  However, the reaction to it

For the next week these two beautiful basses by Chicago Bass Works luthier Andrew Hassel will be in the shop.  This is a fantastic opportunity to play on hand-crafted, US-made instruments with premium hardware, innovative bracing, and incredible sound.  We had bass #2 in the shop and sold it to a local university musician.  These are bass #3 and #4, and it’s incredible to see the refinement and progression of these instruments.  We hope to have a long relationship with Andrew and we’re proud to represent these instruments!  Please come in over the next week before I take these to a local university.  

We talk a great deal here at Encore Orchestral Strings about treating our customers like family.  While this can mean different things depending on your perspective and experiences, to us it means having our customers’ best interests in mind.  We do our best to get to know each customer, understanding their needs and preferences.  When possible, we like to develop such a close and strong relationship with our customers that we know what they need before they do! Take the young lady in the picture for instance.  She’s been coming to the store since she was just a few months old.  Everyone here knows her and most greet her by name.  She feels totally comfortable in every part of the store and knows so much about the products that she could probably help other customers find what they need!  What does it mean to treat our customers like family?  Well, I knew she’d probably be coming by the store this afternoon and that she might be hungry.  I knew she loved California rolls and that she needed gluten free soy sauce.  Learning all these details about our customers allows us to anticipate their needs, exceed their expectations, and make them

I grew up in a small town in North Carolina.  Although it wasn’t a vast metropolis, it had excellent opportunities to hear music, experience theatre, and visit art museums.  I took advantage of these life-enriching opportunities and have never forgotten their impact on my life and its direction. When I moved to Indianapolis to study cello at Butler, I immediately realized that my opportunities to hear great music had increased significantly.  That very first fall I had the good fortune of seeing Yo-Yo Ma perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra – talk about rolling out the welcome mat!  Between the ISO and ICO, faculty and student recitals, and visiting artists, there was a constant stream of world-class music. This week reminded me again of the embarrassment of riches we enjoy in this city!  Last night I attended a Laureate series concert associated with the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI).  Four past Laureates who are now Concertmasters of major American orchestras performed with Ju-Fang Liu (Principal bass of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra) in a captivating program of violin favorites and creative arrangements.  Tonight I am going to miss a chamber music recital at Butler featuring one of my favorite pieces

It’s that time again – this Saturday is State Solo & Ensemble!  While this day is full of fun and excitement, it can occasionally get TOO exciting when an instrument or bow malfunctions.  A couple of tips as you make your way to the site: Before leaving the house, make sure you have EVERYTHING you need.  Think about making yourself a checklist this week so you can go over it on Saturday morning. If the car you’re riding in to the site is parked outside, plan ahead and warm it up before leaving.  Taking your instrument from a warm home to a warm car to a warm competition site is a good way to avoid surprises. This ties in to number two, but don’t put your instrument in the trunk!  Do everything you can to minimize temperature fluctuations between your house and the competition site. Tune your instrument carefully at home before leaving for the site.  It has a greater chance of staying in tune for your performance if you haven’t had to make huge adjustments just prior to playing. Think about even rosining your bow at home.  The hallways of the site are often busy places and you might

If you’ve spent any time around me talking about the making of new instruments, you know how big a fan I am of the great modern makers and their creations.  I was fortunate to visit one of the greatest living violin makers, Kurt Widenhouse, when I was a young cellist just starting my journey to learn the instrument.  I took my student instrument to him for an adjustment and I can still remember standing by his bench as he worked.  Above his bench were photos of greats musicians like Aaron Rosand, standing next to Kurt with one of Kurt’s violins.  All the photos had loving inscriptions from the players, praising him for his instruments.  I also saw Kurt’s awards and learned that there was such a thing as a violin making competition.  Whether I was aware of it at the time or not, that is when I made the connection between a modern instrument from a living maker and the musician who played it.  I realized that there could be a kind of communication between the player and maker that was impossible with the dead masters from the past.  That communication could shape not only the maker’s work, but the musician’s art as well.  Little did

The value of trust is something I consider nearly every day.  As I raise my children, we often talk about trust – how to build it and how it can be broken.  The durability of nearly every long term relationship can be measured by the strength of trust.  A breach of trust can end business partnerships, friendships, and marriages.  When we stop and take time to evaluate the role of trust, the conclusion must be that it is one of the most precious commodities we can cultivate. How do we build trust?  On one hand, the formula looks simple – say what we mean and do what we say.  We make a promise and we keep a promise.  Some are grand like wedding vows.  Some are simple like packing a string cheese in our kids’ lunchbox after saying we would the night before.  Building trust is similar to building a large structure – we must lay a foundation.  In personal relationships it might start by agreeing on a time when we’ll pick someone up for a meal and being there at the specified time.  What seems in the moment like a simple act can be the cornerstone of the trust

On January 30th, 2019, near-record-breaking low temperatures are forecast.  Windchill temperatures of -45 are possible and it begs the question – should I take my string instrument outside for prolonged periods in these conditions? No. If you do take your instrument outside for any length of time, you should expect very bad things to happen to it.  As we all know, as water freezes it expands.  There is some residual moisture in the wood of your instrument….so in these extreme conditions, strange things can happen.  For instance, if you play a 3/4 size violin and take it outside, it might become a 4/4 violin.  Taking it back inside should allow it to return to its normal size. I was going to come up with a whole list of kooky things that would happen, but the reality is that this kind of weather isn’t a laughing matter for your instrument.  The furnace in your home will run almost nonstop, pulling the humidity inside your house down to dangerous levels.  If possible, humidify the room the instrument lives in and make sure the instrument is well clear from exterior walls and registers. If you do experience issues with your instrument as a

Ferrari. Linguini. Stradivari. Olive Garden. All things for which we owe Italy a debt of gratitude. Okay…maybe not the last one. I’ve been familiar with the Italian company Bogaro & Clemente for a while, primarily admiring their fittings (pegs, tailpieces, chinrests, endpins) that came in a number of beautiful and exotic woods. I recently needed to order two sets of cello fittings made from pernambuco and took some time to poke around their website. Several friends of mine raved about their double violin case and I wondered what their standard cases were like. I ordered their “Nicole” violin case in matte carbon with a music pouch, shoulder strap, and a few interior options…hoping that the case was as fine as their fittings. I’m pleased to say it is!  This is one of the most beautiful and practical cases I’ve seen in some time.  It is thoughtfully laid out, intelligently constructed, and has features most violinists will appreciate.  I already have someone interested in this case, but feel free to call to schedule a time to look it over.  It can be ordered with so many custom finishes and features, you’ll probably want to spec out your own.  We’re here to help!

We’re going to start making videos focused on answering YOUR questions, so feel free to send them in!  I’m excited about the opportunity to hear exactly what’s on your mind.  Do you want to know more about historical makers?  How about instrument maintenance? The best way to choose a bow?  Which string might work best on your instrument?  The ideal way to give someone a hug taking height differential into account? I see this as a wonderful way to interact with you, our customers.  Honestly, I see nothing but upside to this whole thing! Wait…it means you might see more of my face.  Sorry.

There is a famous saying here in Indiana that goes “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it will change.”  With that being said, we have been lucky enough to experience a relatively mild winter this year!  Keep an eye out for the changing weather, though. Temperatures are about to drop again and this spring-like weather will turn wintery. Here are a few tips to keep in mind with instrument care this season: Try to avoid abrupt environmental changes – if you are traveling with your instrument quite a bit, you may want to look into getting a small humidifier for your case (we have different kinds available at the store!) to help stabilize your instrument’s environment.  When you are not practicing or performing, try to keep your instrument in its case. Do NOT leave your instrument in the car – a good rule of thumb is to think of your instrument as a pet; if your pet would be uncomfortable in the car, so is your instrument.  This goes for cold temperatures as well as hot. Identify humidity levels in your home – invest in a hydrometer that will evaluate the humidity and help you determine if it

For my last blog post before Christmas, I am going to address a topic that has been on the mind of at least three people who read this blog.  That is, ALL the people who read this blog.  This topic can be best summarized by a question – “Why doesn’t Encore Orchestral Strings have a 2019 Ford F-250 crew-cab short-bed 4×4 diesel truck as a company vehicle”?  Excellent question.  In order to most effectively answer this question, I believe it should be flipped on its head – why SHOULD Encore have such a vehicle.  Please allow me to present my case using an abbreviated, 52-point format. One day we might have the opportunity to purchase one of the surviving cellos by Antonio Stradivari.  The seller might insist on payment in gold.  At today’s market value of both the cello and the gold, that would require 750 pounds of gold.  Clearly, the bed of a heavy-duty pickup would be ideal for transporting the gold and the backseat of a crew-cab pickup would be ideal for transporting the cello.  Yo-Yo Ma might give a private concert at Paige’s Music and require transportation from the airport not only for himself and his cello, but also