ELCOME! SINGING WOODS VIOLIN IS A VIOLIN SHOP WITH A DIFFERENCE. We specialize in hand-made conventional stringed instruments and violins of the New Violin Family-- both hand made and imported-- even contrabasses! Here you will find items that most other shops just don’t offer. Altos played vertically (like the one pictured to the right), true tenor violins, soprano violins, and special violas for players with physical problems. Please browse our site, come back often to see what's new, and let us know what you think. We look forward to hearing from you.

› Conventional Violins, Violas, and Cellos

If you can't find an old instrument that meets your requirements, commissioning a new one might be a good alternative. Your hand-made violin, viola, or cello can incorporate many of your preferences about style, sound, and appearance, and it can be a good investment as well. › MORE

› New Violin Family Instruments

We love instruments of the New Violin Family, and the Singing Woods Violin Shop is the first in the country to offer high-quality, hand-crafted imports at an affordable price. We even offer cases that fit! We also hand-make to create the finest instruments possible for the professional player. › MORE

› parts for Octet Makers

We now stock many hard-to-find parts for the octet maker, including endpin plugs and rods, tailhangers, and tailpieces for most octet violins, just to name a few. If you can't find what you're looking for, just ask! › MORE

›Partial Shipment Arrives

The mezzo violin and alto violin shipment arrived here at the end of April, and I am unpacking, checking for damages, and beginning to set them up. There was a fuel surcharge, but it wasn't as large as I'd feared. If you are on the waiting list, your price is locked in, and I will notify you when the instruments are ready to ship.

›Price Increases Coming

If you drive a car, you've noticed that gas prices are creeping up again. A gallon of regular grade now costs a little over three dollars here in Central New York, and the end is not in sight. I fully expect fuel-driven price increases in my fall shipments, and with them will come price increases on the instruments. I will do my best to limit the increases as best I can.

I hope to have our first alto violin in the Master Shop category finished sometime in May. Follow the link and click the FAQ tab for a description of the grades we offer. Additional tenors will be available in June.

At the end of May, I will have a number of special violas available that will be of interest to players suffering physcial problems from handling conventional violas that are too large. I will be showing them June 16 through 20 at the 38th International Viola Congress at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Ohio. In addition to the 16" (406 mm) body size, I also will have 16 1/4" (412 mm) body size and 15 3/4" body size (400 mm).

Where Did it go?

News from the shop

Latest news from the shop and general information is now under "info & links" on this site › go there

Octet History

Historical information and related data will become a part of our sister site under the Octavivo Organization › go there

New Family Educational

Descriptions and background information about the New Violin Family will soon be found on the Octavivo web site.› Go there

For Composers & Luthiers

This type of information will be consolidated on the Octavivo site over the coming months. › Go there