Loen Violins
Cody, Wyoming
(307) 250-5939, Email
Loenviolins@aol.com
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Loen Violins has been helping students, amateurs,
and professional string player meet their goals for over 30 years. Our goal is to provide an unparalleled level
of service, based on extensive training, research of classic instruments, and
experience with thousands of clients of all levels, from all walks of
life.
Our clients have included classical players,
fiddlers, students as young as 3, and lifelong players in their 90’s. We have serviced more than eight school
districts in Montana and Washington State, and worked for numerous music
shops.
We have a violin-making and repair studio on our
property on the South Fork, Cody, WY.
Clients are welcome by appointment.
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Services:
Repair, Restoration, and Adjustment
-from a new bridge to neck resets and crack repair,
we’ve seen it all.
New and Used Instrument Sales
-more than 70 in stock (violin, viola, cello)
Quality Fractional Instruments for Students
-Our standards are high, but prices are low
String and Accessory Sales
-dealer for D’Addario strings, Howard Core cases
and accessories, JonPaul bows, and several other excellent suppliers.
Bow Rehair and Repair
-over 14,000 rehairs done
personally
New Making
-Informed copies of great instruments based on
extensive research of historic instruments.
Using World’s best materials. Our
instruments are in the hands of concertmasters, expert players, teachers, and
serious amateurs.
Appraisals
-well-researched insurance appraisal certificates
Student Rentals
-All high quality. No bottom-end
instruments. Premium strings, good bows,
decent cases
Books on Classic Instruments
-our 345-page book “Investigations of Classic Violin Family
Instruments” is nearly ready. Short
synopsis: Old Italian instruments are
not like you think they are…
Customer Remarks
(edited for brevity)
“This is an amazing violin shop. I wish I had
known there were shops like this last fall when my daughter started playing
violin. We rented a 1/10th violin from a generalist music store and the
instrument wasn't that good. Then it was time to upgrade to an
1/8th size violin for her and I stumbled upon this shop and saw the 100%
trade-in value when upgrading. This made the decision whether to rent or
purchase a no-brainer, since we are going to be upgrading her violin at least 4
more times!
Jeff is very knowledgeable and obviously
passionate about violins and violin making. He was very helpful in our
instrument selection process. The instruments I tested were very good, and we
ended up with an easy to play and nice sounding 1/8 size violin. My daughter
loves it! I wish I had access to an instrument like that when I was 7 years old
- maybe I would have stuck with the lessons!”
-a five-star review posted on Yelp.com
“He knows and loves his instruments, and as a
result provides very personal and high quality service
to his customers.”
--from a classical violinist
“You take a sincere interest in your customers
and your service is outstanding.”
--from an award-winning fiddler
“Jeff expertly repaired my cello in a very
timely manner. He helped me choose the best options for my instrument based on
my budget, my level of play, and the worth of my cello. I enjoyed my
interactions with him. I recommend his services!”
-a five-star review posted on Yelp.com
“I will recommend your shop and service to
other string players in town.”
-from a
player in Ketchikan, Alaska
“I have been doing some viola practicing since
returning home today with my new strings. I LOVE the change in string
brands, and thank you so much for talking with me about Dominant strings. The Larson A is also nice. Bizet's L'Arlesienne
#2 has never sounded this good. I am a very happy viola player!!!”
-from a fine violist
“As I haven’t responded since you overhauled my
violin, I wanted to say how much I appreciated all the attention and work that
you did! My violin sounds 100% better than it did before, and my play has been
much freer because of it.”
-from a violinist
“I just wanted to say thanks for the great
violin you rented me! I had my first
lesson with it last night and it was amazing the
difference in tone and ease of play. My
instructor was very impressed with it as well.”
-from an adult violin student
“My daughter is LOVING her new violin and is
playing it lots. It's always a pleasure
to do business with you, and we will look forward to the next time. So far she is quite
thrilled with it. The tone is so rich.
She performed for a friend of mine yesterday and it went very well. Thanks again for everything”
-from the proud Mom of a fine young violinist
“I just wanted to take a minute to THANK YOU
for taking time today to share your knowledge and your kindness. Your gentle way of listening and teaching
holds the same peaceful energy as does the shop, and the beautiful pieces
awaiting homes that rest in it. Within a
month, I plan to visit again to purchase one of those special instruments. Thank you again for sharing stories and your
passion for creating. ”
-from a violin enthusiast
“We want to thank you for your excellent
workmanship and expertise on the cello repair.
We have so enjoyed doing business with you and appreciate your honesty
and integrity. Our daughter who plays
violin still cherishes hers and you will be glad to know that it is still in
beautiful shape and sounds even richer than when we first purchased it from
you. We recommend your shop whenever we
can!”
-from a parent of string players
“Your violin is in very appreciative
hands. I'm sorry I haven't sent a note sooner to say how pleased I am
with the violin. I am enjoying it more and more every day. You may
also be pleased to know that after I left your shop calling it my own, we went
to the other shop to return the other bows, and they had two instruments ready
for me to try at three times the price.
I thought I still had bought the best instrument.”
-from a teacher and symphony Concertmaster who
plays a Jeff Loen handmade violin
“I am still enjoying your violin. It sounds
good wherever I play, and I just love how well it stays in tune from day to
day. It has been a real pleasure to play.”
-from the same teacher and Concertmaster, 9
months after violin purchase
“Just a note to thank you for the work you did
on my bow. I realize you went the extra
mile for me. Thanks so much. You’ll be hearing from me again.”
-from a professional violinist
“Thanks again for your expert job in rehairing my Sartory violin
bow. It plays like a dream.”
-from a teacher and performer
“I am very impressed with the level of service
and knowledge you provided during my undertaking of looking for a new
violin. During my visit to your shop,
you were very friendly and patient.
Furthermore, you went the extra mile by giving interesting insight into
the history and care of the violin.
Overall, a wonderful experience and I look forward to doing business
with you in the future!”
-from a classical violinist
“I have been very pleased with the quality of
service you have given me and my students.
Most recently, you patiently walked a family through a violin purchase,
helping them make a difficult decision.
Earlier you restored the camber on my bow, bringing it back to its
original playing capability, and gave me thorough and prompt appraisals of my
instruments for insurance. I trust your
professionalism, and regard you as a very honest and capable technician”
--from a classical string teacher
“You rebuilt the bow for my violin built in
1902 by my grandfather for his daughter, my mother. You thought it was a good
bow, and proved it by rebuilding it. You were right. I wouldn’t have trusted just any repairman
with it. I have enjoyed visiting with you, picking your brains for expertise on
stringed instruments. You’re a good man and a good craftsman.”
--from an older fiddle/mandolin player
“Just wanted to thank you for your fine work on
my violin! It sounds terrific! The harmonics ring! You’ve worked miracles on
it! I was just about ready to trade it in.”
--from a classical violinist
“I have found your work to be excellent. You have been honest with us in terms of what
amount of repair our instruments truly need.”
--from a Public School
Fine Arts Administrator
“We purchased two violins and two bows. All
have been of excellent quality. He pays
meticulous attention to setting up each violin properly, and thoroughly backs
up the work he does. He also pays close
attention to the quality of the violins he selects to restore, and prices them
fairly. Besides restoring high quality instruments and bows, He has a love of
the instruments, and takes great pleasure in seeing them placed in the hands of
deserving students and professionals. We have always recommended him to our
friends.”
--from the parents of two violin students
“When you made changes/repairs or adjustments
to my instrument or bow I could always hear and feel the improvement. You have
made the single most significant contribution to my enjoyment of and quality of
my violin and fiddle playing”
--from a classical violinist
“I had a chance to finally play the violin and
it sounds great! Specifically, it seems
to have more resonance and sounds a bit louder. The tone seems to ring, as if
you opened up something inside of it! The pegs are working much easier and the
G is much easier to adjust. Thanks for your magic touch!”
--from a classical violinist
“He’s been a true trooper & help to
musicians in our community. He’s been a big help in the repair/refurbishment of
two string instruments I inherited—a violin and viola. Both will soon be active
as loan instruments to the Symphony.”
--from a Symphony Board Member
“I just wanted to tell you how glad I am with
what you did to my violin. I just played Mendelssohn’s Concerto with a piano
player on a Knabe Grand. My Rocca soared better than any Strad, Guarneri, or
Amati. I was just delighted. Thanks so much for your wonderful shop.”
--from a teacher and performer
“He treats each instrument that comes into his
shop as his own and gives each the individual care it deserves. You can trust
him to be careful with your prized instruments. You will get more than your
money’s worth in any repair work done. And to top it all off, he’s a nice guy
and easy to work with.”
--from a violin owner
“You carved a new bridge and soundpost for my
1890’s cello. The improvement in sound
has been phenomenal! I found your work of the highest quality, and the prices
reasonable. You have done work beyond my expectations.”
--from a cello performer and teacher
“Your handmade violin #12 came yesterday. It is
just what I wanted and expected.
--from a soloist and orchestral player
“I purchased a Stradivarius copy from you. You
were very helpful in making adjustments over the following period of time to
adapt the violin to my particular needs. I found you to be knowledgeable about
the instrument and meticulous in your work.”
--from a classical violinist and fiddler
“I am writing to express my satisfaction with
the excellent string instrument repair work you have done for our Public
Schools. Your shop is over 150 miles away, but the quality of your work leads
us to do business with you in spite of the distance. You attend to details,
point out, and correct problems that could lead to more costly repairs if left
unattended. I can recommend you without reservation.”
--from a Music Supervisor, Public Schools
“I sincerely appreciate the work you have
done. You really did a fine job. I will recommend you at every opportunity.”
--from a fiddler/violinist
“Your work is most professional and your stand
behind your repairs. Several years ago, I was able to purchase one the fine
instruments that you had restored. It’s a terrific instrument. You were even
able to provide a history of the instrument—interesting. Since my purchase, I
have assisted students in getting their instruments. You have been fair and
equally accommodating. It is a pleasure to work with you. You are knowledgeable
and excited about your work.”
--from a string teacher (Public Schools &
private lessons)
“We had a cherished family violin restored at
his shop last year. The work was far
beyond our expectations. He analyzed the
instrument’s problems and knew how to correct them.”
--from a classical string teacher