High Strung and the COVID19 Concerns
In accordance with Mayor Schewel's "stay-at-home" order,  we are extending our closure until the City of Durham lifts that order. We are not monitoring our phones but you are welcome to reach out to us through the website.

repairs

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BOWED INSTRUMENT REPAIRS
Lee Raymond studied bowed repairs with Edmond "Bud" Godreau until his retirement in 2011. She has also studied at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at UNH.  

Peter Daaleman studied with bass luthier, Damon Walker, and continues to learn by attendance at the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at UNH and 

FRETTED REPAIRS 
Will Postlethwait has been working on fretted instruments informally for well over a decade, and had apprenticed with Lee.  (She trained at the Summit School of Guitar Building and Repair in the 1990s).  He has also attended workshops with Bob Smakula at the Augusta Heritage Center.  See below for a menu of repairs we do in-house.

Bowed Instrument Repair Pricing

Please note, these prices are guidelines. Your actual estimate and eventual cost may vary from these prices depending on the state of your instrument. 
NOTE: Cheaply-made instruments incur an additional fee because they are more difficult to work on.
(TRANSLATION: it takes more effort to work on them because THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BREAK EASILY). 

                                                                       Violin     Viola    Cello
  • Set-up: Soundpost, bridge, peg, &
    nut adjustments; general cleaning            $ 45        $ 45      $90
  • Soundpost Reposition                         $ 15        $ 15      $20
  • New Soundpost                                    $ 50        $ 50      $70
  • Peg Adjustments                                  $ 10 +     $ 10 +   $20 +
  • New Peg - Labor                                   $ 20 +     $ 20 +   $25
  • Bridge                                                    $ 55        $65       $110
  • ​Plane Fingerboard                               $ 50        $50      $100
  • Fine Tuner + installation                     $   4         $ 5       $ 9

STRING  CHANGES

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANGES!!" (What, no David Bowie fans out there?!?)

Listen, it's not just a string change...it's a STRING EXPERIENCE. You won't be disappointed! (Cost of strings additional; not included.) Your instrument will come back to you clean and happy.

VIOLINS, VIOLAS, CELLOS
FREE w/purchase of strings. Otherwise, $10.00 a la carte.

OTHER STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
We handle basic repairs (set-ups, fret level/dressing, crack repairs, bridge reglues) for guitar, mandolin, ukulele, dulcimer... Most things with strings.
Prices will vary, of course, but here is a basic list:
  • Set-Up                            $  55 + strings
  • Fret level/dress            $ 150
  • Crack Repairs               $  35 & up
  • Bridge Reglue               $ 125
 String Changes:
  • Steel 6-string Guitar       $ 20
  • 12-String Guitar               $ 30
  • Classical Guitar               $ 30
  • Mandolin                          $ 30
  • Banjo                                $ 20
  • Lap Dulcimer                   $ 20
  • Ukulele                             $ 15
We do not restring harps, autoharps or hammered dulcimers.

meet  our  luthiers...

lee  raymond

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High Strung's proprietor
Fiddle player, luthier and Irish step dancer.

e. "bud"  godreau

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High Strung Luthier Emeritus
Bud was High Strung's luthier until 2011.  He passed away in January, 2016 and is sorely missed.

Will   Postlethwait

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​​Will Postlethwait is our fretted instrument guru. As a guitarist and bass player, he brings an understanding of the mechanics, as well as his intuition as a musician, to diagnose and fix almost anything with frets.