meet our expert repairmen
Ed McCoppin is an expert luthier excelling in all aspects of stringed instrument making, repair and restoration. Mr. McCoppin has trained at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at the University of New Hampshire for 7 years, has studied with Vito Cheverini, Keith and Raymond Doerr and studies with Brian Bishop. Mr. McCoppin is the current president of the Michigan Violinmakers Association.
Doug Gluckin, string and wind technician, has been working in many aspects of musical instrument repair, restoration and service for 28 years. Mr. Gluckin also has experience working with many university and public school programs. Mr. Gluckin is also a professional musician and has taught private music lessons for many years.
John Dewey is in his 28th year of work in string repair and restoration. Mr. Dewey is also a professional musician and a private music lesson instructor.
Brian Bishop is a regular consultant to the String Connection repair shop.
Brian served a four year apprenticeship with Keith Doerr during which he completed 25 instruments. He also spent an additional two studying with Keith's brother Raymond, concentrating on varnish making and developing a greater understanding of how arching and plate graduation can create different tonal results. Using both traditional and modern methods, Brian makes several different models of violin and viola. The varnish application varies from lightly shaded to an antiqued appearence in a range of colors. His instruments are currently being used by a wide range of players, professional, students and amateurs throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Being a player himself, Brian strives to ensure his instruments are comfortable to play on and sound well both under the ear and at a distance. This is accomplished through careful attention to many factors that create an instrument worthy of concert performance. Great instruments start with wood selection. Violin wood must have good tonal potential and be properly aged, preferably a minimum of ten years. The arching of the top and back plates along with their thicknessing/graduations is also critical to the success of an instrument. As no two pieces of wood are exactly the same, arching and graduations may vary considerably from on instrument to the next to get the best results. These variables are used to create a darker or brighter sound with more or less resistance to the bow.
The effect of varnish on tone is a topic often debated among luthiers and aficionados of the violin. Brian uses an oil varnish which was developed by Ray Doerr. It is a soft, flexible varnishwhich contributes to the instruments beauty as well as preventing the sound from becoming stiff or harsh. Many other elements go into a fine handmade instrument. Neck size and shape, soundpost adjustment, the fit and cut of the bridge, event the distance of the tailpiece behind the bridge effect the tone and playability of an instrument and must be considered.
We invite you to stop in and try out Brian's latest. He is always working on several instruments at any given time and inquiries regarding reserving one are welcome.
