Violin Repair cost

cello service brisbane

If your violin needs repair or servicing, it’s worth understanding what that entails. Violin repair costs are made up of several factors: the time spent working on your instrument, the cost of parts, and associated overheads. Behind the scenes, there’s also time you don’t see—ordering and reordering parts, keeping tools sharp, and maintaining a tidy, well-equipped workshop.

Violin repair costs vary greatly depending on whjat needed to be done

At larger “big box” stores, prices often reflect additional expenses such as retail overheads, management layers (important for quality control), and the staff needed to be there keep the shop running regular hours.

Luthiery—the art of making and repairing stringed instruments—is a specialised craft that takes years to develop (if you’re lucky enough to find a teacher). It’s certainly a skill above minimum wage, with top luthiers in Australia charging upwards of $200 per hour.

When setting my own prices, I keep an eye on what’s usual both locally and across Australia. Below are some ballpark figures in the industry for common repairs—they can vary depending on the quality of the instrument, the grade of parts used, and the level of workmanship required:

Violin Repairs costs , as at 2025

  • Bridge replacement: $75+ (there are different grades of bridges)
  • Peg replacement: $30+ (involves trimming and fitting the peg to the peg box and reaming of the peg hole)
  • Sound post fitting: $60+ (cut and fit a spruce sound post)
  • Fingerboard reglue: $75+ (these often come apart in the Qld climate)
  • Crack repair: $100+ (This is a run of the mill crack that can be repaired without opening the instrument and fitting a few cleats)
  • Open seams $75 (these are when the top or back plate come away from the instument , not uncommon in Qld humid weather)
  • Annual service: $50+ (service pegs, bridge, tail piece – change strings + cost of strings)
  • Strings, from $60 for synthetic core up to $200+ for high performance solist strings
  • Bow rehair: $200+ (fit new hair to a bow)
  • Restorations: $500+ (depending on scope this is for new pegs bridge sound post, clean up and polish, strings – more works costs more )

As a general guide, allow around 50% more for cello repairs and double the cost for double bass repairs.

Its a good idea to agree on costs bvefore work on your instruments, though you should understand that for more complex repairs its more of an estimate as the full extent of the injury might not be known until dissembly.

I’m happy to give my prices over the phone or receive a text with a photo of a damaged instrument to give an indicative quote for my repair services . I usually recommend a few options to customers for more complex issues and advise along the way if other issues crop up.

I tend to be a bit cheaper than most stores. Contact(s) me here.

Other repair services

Blogs about Repairs

Fiddler Dan