A Note from Andy Fein
Before launching Fein Violins in 1982, I worked and trained with some of the finest makers and restorers all over the world. I served my apprenticeship at the Chicago School of Violin Making, studied instrument and bow identification with Kenneth Warren, Sr., and completed a B.A. (Cum Laude) in Music from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. I continue to study instruments, particularly the instruments of Antonius Stradivarius and his predecessors, at the National Music Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, with master violin maker Amnon Weinstein in Tel Aviv, and with esteemed colleagues and conservators from around the world.
Despite all the activity on our website, we are still a small business with a personal approach to every instrument and every customer. Before an instrument is ready to leave our shop, it is set up and finished by me, played by one of the professional musicians on staff, and checked and adjusted for tone quality. Then we ship your instrument directly to you, set up and ready to play as soon as you open the case!
While we are dedicated to bringing you the best possible instrument to suit your needs, we are also dedicated to the environment. Our shop is powered by wind through Excel Energy's Windsource program. We also make a point to recycle, to use LED light bulbs, and to conserve energy and resources whenever possible.
We're the only violin shop in the Twin Cities area, and one of very few violin shops nationwide, that's a member of the Better Business Bureau.
When you read our instrument reviews, you will discover that our clients are not just customers. We're interested in supporting your musical endeavors by providing quality instruments at reasonable prices. I'm proud of my shop and the excellent customer service provided by my staff of string players. We take great pride in what we do.
In this time of the Corona Virus, we're trying to serve you as much as possible with our online services and shipping directly to you. Please call us (651-228-0783), text us (651-333-8993), or email (mail@feinviolins.com). We love you and your instruments! Let's all do our best to keep the music flowing!
Andy Fein
Appraisals
Have an old violin, viola, or cello and you want to get more information about it? Its value? Its history? Just want someone to "take a look at it'?
Then you want an APPRAISAL. An appraisal will give you the information that you need for insurance, or to sell an instrument (on your own), or just to satisfy your curiosity.
For the the next few weeks or months, we will not be doing appraisals in our shop. This will help us cut down on person to person interactions and do our part to slow the spread of the Corona Virus. Our ONLINE APPRAISAL SERVICE is still available!
We can do an Online Appraisal for you for $100. An accurate Online Appraisal relies upon YOU to take accurate measurements, and to provide detailed photographs.
Please realize the accuracy of your appraisal will be influenced by the accuracy of the pictures and measurements that you provide.
Have an old violin with a Stradivarius label? Please read our blog post "So You Think You Found a Stradivarius"! It will probably save you $100!!!