Hand selected and setup Violins for every Budget

If you are looking for a great sounding violin, for a great price come and see me in my suburban violin workshop.

Hi There, I’m Dan on Brisbanes Southside. I hand select and setup all my instruments from many of the same suppliers as the big name music shops and bring them direct to the public. From $300-$3000 I have something to suit every budget…and a few one of a kind instruments as well. With no glitzy showrooms or dedicated sales staff I can keep the overheads low…

Come and see why hundreds of Southside string instrument players, their parents, teachers and schools recommend me… As its just me and my tuning fork, please call/SMS me to make a time.

I also do all bowed string repairs, servicing and restorations.

Welcome to Fiddler Dan’s Violins and Workshop

Hi there and welcome to my suburban violin shop/workshop, right here in Mt.Gravatt, Mansfield on Brisbane’s Southside. Come and see me for all your violin and string instrument needs: Instruments for sale, repairs, servicing and restorations, accessories (bows, books, shoulder rests). I’ve been playing for over 40 years, as a parent I understand the sweet spot between sound quality and affordability and have been taught luthiering by an Australian Violin maker. See also my restored antiques if you are after something unique.

I’m an Authorised dealer for the following music industry suppliers of instruments, just like the big music shops. Custom orders from their respective catalogues are welcome (click logo to see their items).

About my instruments

All new instruments that I prepare from these suppliers are further setup by myself to my own specifications (or yours) to enhance sound and playability. I don’t employ others to do this or anything else. My offer to you is good service, quality and after sales support, whilst still maintaining the recommended retail price (RRP). All instruments come with Australian warranties standard. I also warrant my secondhand instruments.

My Community and you (see my google reviews)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
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 張藝馨 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Thank you so much Dan for fixing my bridge and putting my string on for me. He’s very nice and I felt very comfortable talking to him. He was also very professional and gave me expert advice. Thank you Dan!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Gareth Mewes 
 
 
 
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Great bow re-hairs and repairs. Always recommend Dan to people looking for some work on their instrument. He's always been super quick too! Thanks 🙏
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Cameron Milne 
 
 
 
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Fiddler Dan was able to re-hair my cello bow with a fast turnaround, good workmanship, great customer service and a fair price, when another workshop was unable to help. His skill in knowing what was wrong with the mechanics of the bow allowed him to diagnose and correct a problem that has plagued me for years. 10/10, I highly recommend Fiddler Dan.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Chen Jin 
 
 
 
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We had a broken tuning peg on our violin and Dan took great care of it. He was friendly, patient, and very professional. The repair was done beautifully and the violin feels great now. You can really tell he cares about his work and his customers. Highly recommend to anyone looking for violin repairs in Brisbane.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Ching-Wen Chang 
 
 
 
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Dan was super kind and friendly. He offered great advice, knowledge and help for my daughter to selecte the right size violin. As my daughter was between sizes, Dan took extra time, care and patience in adjusting everything to make sure it fitted her correctly. Thank you Dan.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Suzie G 
 
 
 
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Very helpfull indeed. Keep up the good work Dan. 🎻
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Janelle 
 
 
 
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Dan set me up with a new bridge extremely quickly before my eyes, and also identified other issues with my violin that he was able to address quickly (before they turned into serious issues, like an ill-fitting sound post). He also let me try out different chinrests and violins while I waited, so I could figure out what I wanted when the time comes to upgrade. Really knowledgeably and friendly. Will defs consider stopping by here when I’m ready for my next violin.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 James Redding 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Had a look at some old violins i had from my father, gave a great appraisal and what i should do with them, easy to communicate with via SMS to set up a meeting time. Very friendly.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
 

If you like music and violins you are welcome at my shop, relax and don’t feel preassured to spend or spend big… pull up a chair and lets work together. Take a virtual tour here. In addition to parents and players of all abilities and ages, I also supply instruments to a number of schools in the local area and undertake repair and setup work for schools, music stores and a distributor.

As a parent, player and repairer I have a good knowledge of what teachers like, what sounds good for the price, is robust for students  and how instruments behave in the tough Australian environments.

See my drop down menu below for items for sale (instruments, bows, strings, books, rosin and accessories and services). Just getting started? Click on Get Started started for useful information.

Store – for information on violins, viola, books and accessories.

Contact/Booking – Get in touch, make a booking for a visit. Speak to me on the phone or a computer whatever works for you.

Student Instruments

I’ve hand picked a range of instrurments just right for each students journey for violin, viola and cello. These come from the same factories as the big name brands…without the price tag and my customers and their teachers love them. I carefully match instruments and strings to a players ability to get the most for your hard earned dollars and get the delicate compromise on already tight household budgets (my kids learn violin too)

More Advanced instruments

I carry a hand picked ranger of more advanced instruments, together with selection of Antique instruments for whatever you are trying to achieve tonaly. I also have a good range of advanced bows that can help take any instrument to the next level

Violin Servicing and repairs

Violins violas and cellos run the delicate balance between strength and ability to vibrate. regular servicing is vital to keeping them sounding good and avoiding costly repairs down the track. Strings change and choice of strings area critical factor that changes as you playing ability changes.

All crack and open seam repairs, bridge and sound-post replacement, fingerboard, nut and peg box together with restoration services and bow repair and rehairing.

Violin Accessories

I have a good range of strings for all levels of players and  tonal characteristics and am happy to match them to your and your instruments needs. A range of shoulder rest and chin rests to fit every neck and collarbone. Popular school tuition books.

A good selection of cases and a range of better bows for a cost effective sound upgrade for your instrument.

Sound optimisation and setup

Violins straight out of the factory are not ready to play, they need to be setup for climatic differences and the needs of the players this is why anything from a specialist string store costs a little more and sounds so great. I setup my7 instruments for playability and to the needs of individual players as well as a few next level adjustments to get the most out of their sound (i like to think my PhD in physics comes in useful here). So wether you are buying an instrument from me, or want to get a little more from you current instrument come and see me about sound optimisation. Choice of strings, replacing some of the components or even getting the right tail piece and bow can make a big difference…hearing is believing

Getting here and Parking.

Located in Mansfield Mt. Gravatt area, Brisbane South , I’m just off the gateway motorway and with plenty of parking I’m an easy drive from most places (Get google directions here). If you’re coming by Bus the 180 or 185 from the City or Westfield Garden city gets you to Cresthaven st (the top of my street). Here’s a translink link to get you here (if I have you time I can drop you at Garden city after)

Blog

• Violin Repair Books: Companions for the Journey
  One of the most valuable companions on my Lord Mayor’s Creative Fellowship has been a growing collection of violin repair … Continue reading “Violin Repair Books: Companions for the Journey”
• A Journey into Violin Restoration with Iris
  I first found my way into luthiery through repairs, and later the restoration of old trade instruments that no one … Continue reading “A Journey into Violin Restoration with Iris”
• Some violin varnishing projects
  One of the ways to practice my varnishing skills is to work on in-the-white instruments, instruments that have been made … Continue reading “Some violin varnishing projects”
• A Journey Through Violin Varnish Recipes
  One of the great mysteries surrounding violins is the world of varnish recipes. They have been studied extensively, often guarded … Continue reading “A Journey Through Violin Varnish Recipes”
• Italian Varnishing – A Journeyman’s Tale
  There’s always been a lot of intrigue around Antonio Stradivari and his varnishing techniques. Was there a secret recipe? While … Continue reading “Italian Varnishing – A Journeyman’s Tale”