Paul Wiessmeyer
Paul Wiessmeyer graduated from the world-renowned violinmaking school in Mittenwald, Germany, in 1981. Subsequently he worked at the shops of Hans Weisshaar and Robert Cauer in Los Angeles before opening his own shop in LA in 1986. Since 1991, he has owned and operated Paul Wiessmeyer Violins in Boston, Massachusetts, a full-service shop specializing in repair, service, sound adjustments, and sales of violins, violas, and celli.
Charles Wolf
Charles Wolf owns and operates a highly successful Orchestral String Repair & Sales business called All Four Strings, selling and repairing violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, along with their bows and accessories. While still in high school, Charlie became the stringed instrument and bow repair technician for one of the largest music stores in Orange County, CA. After a highly distinguished 35-year career in music education, Charlie returned to his passion for stringed instrument repair and restoration. Charlie is often invited to school districts and conferences to help music educators understand how to maintain a healthy orchestral instrument and to identify when there are issues that should be addressed for repair.
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Keep orchestral stringed instruments in good playing condition and in the hands of musicians. Orchestral Music Educators, Department Chairs, District VAPA Coordinators, private teachers, and anyone interested in learning more about their orchestral instrument will benefit by helping keep their stringed instruments healthy. Practicing the basic maintenance and preventative care outlined in this one-day workshop will also help keep repair expenses down. In this class, you will learn all the components of the instrument, how to properly install stings, how to clean and care for your instrument, and more.
Violin Setup Foundations, Level I is a hands-on introductory workshop that addresses the basics of 4/4 violin set-up and teaches some of the basic bench skills required for repair and maintenance of a full-size violin. Topics include: proper use of bench grinders; sharpening knives, plane blades, and chisels; fitting pegs in the scroll; setting and making sound- posts; and making bridges.
This course is a continuation of hands-on skills found in the level 1 course and addresses additional fundamentals of a 4/4 violin set-up. This workshop addresses basic bench skills required for the repair & maintenance of a full-sized violin. Students will leave this course understanding how to properly fit a bridge, glue an open seam and discuss more detailed repairs in an open forum to find solutions for common minor repairs found with private & rental instruments. String selections, maximizing the use & sound of inexpensive instruments, alternative woods & materials now available to Luthiers, finding suppliers suitable for your needs, and many more topics will be discussed.
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Individuals with previous experience with violin repair or students who have participated in UNH Violin Set-Up I and II may attend this workshop. You will gain exposure to and experience in the most common types of repairs including: gluing of cracks in instruments, cleating, taking off and re-gluing the top, neck projections, bushing pegs, simple edge replacement, and basic retouching principles.
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In this continuation of violin repair study, students’ more advanced repair projects will be discussed and shared as classroom learning opportunities. Each student receives personalized daily instruction at the bench to guide them through their project. This workshop will focus on neck-resetting, neck shaping, coloring and varnishing of the neck, plate and bar thickness, and the gluing and retouching of old cracks.
