Stoke Newington Musical Instrument Repair: Violins and Bows

Bridgewood & Neitzert is the kind of workshop London string players recommend to each other by name. Since 1982 it has repaired, restored and sold violins, violas, cellos and double basses from Stoke Newington Church Street in north-east London, and it is equally known among early-music players for converting instruments to baroque and classical set-ups. It handles an open cello seam and a viola da gamba with equal ease, and its bow bench rehairs sticks for players across the city.

The shop was established in 1982 and is still run by its managing directors, Gary Bridgewood and Tom Neitzert. Over four decades it has built a reputation that stretches well beyond the modern orchestra, because the workshop handles viola da gamba, lute and other early instruments as well as the standard violin family. Its website describes the workshops as spread over two floors, with a machine room, a photographic studio and a research library.

That library and studio explain the shop's blog, which reads like a restorer's notebook. In 2026 it has posted on trends in baroque violin restoration in March and, in July, a post titled Jacob's Rare Violin Rebuild in the Workshop, following a damaged violin through its restoration. Reading a couple of these posts before you visit gives a good sense of how the team thinks about an instrument: what to keep original, what to replace, and why.

The repair and restoration page lists work on violins, violas, cellos, double basses, viols and lutes, from everyday set-up adjustments to crack repairs and full restorations. Bows have their own service, covering rehairs and bow repairs. Cases are repaired too, which is useful when a zip, hinge or handle fails on the case that keeps a valuable cello safe on the bus.

The speciality that sets the shop apart is period conversion. Bridgewood & Neitzert converts instruments to baroque and classical set-ups, which typically means changing the neck angle, fingerboard, bridge, tailpiece and strings so a modern violin or cello can be played in a period-instrument ensemble. The same understanding of set-up goes into tonal adjustment, where small changes to the soundpost and bridge can open up an instrument that sounds choked or uneven.

There is no public price list. Instead, the website has a repair quotation form, and the luthiers provide full estimates of both time and cost before work begins, so nothing proceeds until you have agreed. This suits a workshop where the same job, say a crack near the soundpost, can take an afternoon on one cello and a week on another.

Double bass players are covered as well, since the repair page lists the double bass alongside the smaller instruments. If you are bringing one, call ahead to check that a luthier is free when you arrive, and plan the journey carefully: a bass in a soft case is awkward on a crowded bus, and a taxi to the door of the shop is usually the least stressful option, especially in rain.

The luthiers are available for appointments six days a week, and making one is the best way to make sure someone can look at your instrument with you. For day-to-day minor repairs and set-ups, the workshop says work is typically finished within a week, and urgent procedures are carried out the same day, which matters if a bridge collapses on the morning of a concert.

For longer jobs, a loan instrument is available while yours is on the bench, so students and working players are not left without something to practise or perform on. Ask about this when you book, and bring your own bow if you want the loan to feel closer to what you are used to.

When you fill in the quotation form, a few details help the luthiers give a realistic estimate: what the instrument is and roughly how old, what has changed, and when you need it back. Photos of a crack or an open seam, taken in daylight from a couple of angles, are more useful than a long description. Mention any earlier repairs you know about, because old glue joints and previous patches change how a restorer approaches the job.

Bridgewood & Neitzert, at 146 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0JU, is in the London Borough of Hackney. Stoke Newington station on the London Overground is the closest rail link, and Manor House on the Piccadilly line is a bus ride away. Buses 73, 393 and 476 run along Church Street itself, which helps if you are carrying a cello and would rather not walk far.

Church Street is one of the most pleasant high streets in north London, a long row of independent bookshops, delis, cafes and pubs. At its western end, Clissold Park has a lake, deer enclosure and a Georgian mansion with a cafe, a good place to sit after a drop-off. Just south of the street, Abney Park Cemetery is a Victorian garden cemetery turned woodland nature reserve, with a ruined chapel at its centre and quiet paths under the trees.

Bridgewood & Neitzert, 146 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0JU. Hours: weekdays 9am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday closed. Repairs are quoted individually through the website's quotation form or in person, with estimates covering time and cost. Minor repairs and set-ups are usually done within a week, urgent work the same day, and a loan instrument can be arranged.

The workshop covers the violin family, double bass, bows, viols, lutes and cases, but not guitars, wind or brass. If you are coming specifically for a baroque conversion, bring the strings and bow you plan to use, and allow time for the workshop to discuss pitch and set-up with you. When booking from outside London, ask whether the job can be done during your stay.