The Violin Shop's Fred Carpenter

Changes are taking place at The Violin Shop, one of the country’s leading places to buy premium violins and bows.

“As we head into our 22nd year here at The Violin Shop, I want to thank everyone for your constant support of the things we do,” co-owner Fred Carpenter said in a year-end e-greeting. “The one thing that has become most obvious after 22 years is that change indeed happens. As we press forward in 2010, I want to take this opportunity to catch everybody up on some of the changes you may not be aware of.”

Carpenter is using his year-end message to re-introduce Ian Panton, who has been 49% owner of The Violin Shop for the last 2 years.

“I met him as a customer about 15 years ago,” Carpenter writes. “Ian’s business involvement with the company started in 2005 when we were recording the Fiddle Masters Concert Series. Quite simply, if not for his support and funding of these DVD’s, they would not exist.”

Carpenter said he and Panton have attended several violin auctions and have invested in instruments together.

“Ian is a fiddler and loves being involved with all of the things we do, but comes from an entirely different background,” said Carpenter. “He has spent over 40 years with Aviagen, the world’s leading poultry breeding company, serving as CEO for the last 8 years. At 62, he has just retired from that position.”

Carpenter said other notable changes are under way at the business.

“After 10 years of handling much of the instrument repair at The Violin Shop, Brian Christianson has decided to move his workshop to his home in the Whites Creek area of Nashville,” said Carpenter. “Brian will still be setting up many of the instruments in our inventory, and will also be doing customer repair and restoration directly from his home.”

Carpenter said he will continue to do all of the bow rehairs here in the shop, and will also now be handling some of the instrument repair work.

“Another dependable source for repair that I recommend, just five minutes from The Violin Shop, is Baldock String Repair, Bill Baldock proprietor,” said Carpenter. “Bill is a very talented luthier with years of experience, and is also excellent at fretted instrument repair. … In addition, Tim May, a gifted luthier who worked in our repair department for 5 years, will be working with Bill on some of the violin repair and restoration projects.”

In another personnel change, after 5 years at the shop, Vance Davenport has decided to move on, allowing him to spend more time at home with his family and also to pursue other interests. Vance still does some of our computer work, and will also be filling in for me as I occasionally will travel to play music in 2010.

“Finally, I’m proud to announce that my daughter, April Carpenter, a senior at Middle Tennessee State University, is now handling all the day-to-day operations here at The Violin Shop, as well as our online store activity,” Carpenter said.

So, any changes in store inventory or philsophy? It doesn’t sound like it.

“As we move forward in 2010, I’ve come to realize that to be the best at what we do, we must continue to specialize,” Carpenter said.

“Fine fiddles – we have a renewed commitment to providing the best selection of well made, great sounding instruments available anywhere, and to do so at affordable prices.

“Fine music – bringing the music performance area into The Violin Shop has provided many incredible evenings of music. We will continue to host our concerts, jam sessions, and more events in the years to come,” Carpenter said.

The shop’s Web site is at www.theviolinshop.com.

Related Links

• The Vioin Shop