SoundPost

Brian Cohen has over the last thirty three years established himself as one of the foremost restorers and conservators in the world. He has worked on many fine instruments belonging both to individuals and museums. For various reasons these have tended to be plucked instruments of many types, such as the 17th Century Venetian guitar photographed here. This guitar was extensively restored over a 2 year period. (one of the quicker jobs! ). It had been cut down to a 'Battente' type guitar, the neck shortened, and the table cut away behind the bridge. There was other extensive damage, incl. worm damage. The guitar is now stable, even playable, the neck restored to its original correct length, the table restored to its original and correct shape.

Other guitars restored over the years include a fine example by Voboam, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a superb Matteo Sellas, now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, a recently restored fine original Spanish guitar dating from around 1630, and many other examples of fine and rare French and Italian 17th C guitars. Also done recently was a fine original early 18th C French viola da Gamba, an original 17th C lute, and many other examples of richly decorated instruments.

A great of time is devoted to researching the original methods and materials that the makers themselves would have used, and work done of these type of instruments is always 'reversible', and 'sympathetic'. Great attention is paid to the original concept of the instrument, and in every case, original material is conserved as far as possible.

More modern guitars have also been restored, including examples by Torres, Ramirez, Arias, Panormo, Lacote, Hauser 1, a most bizarre 'Strohguitar' ( now in the E.M.P collection, USA), and many others.

Repairs

Here at SoundPost we offer a comprehensive repair service second to none, but only for all stringed instruments originally sold from SoundPost. We are no longer able to offer a general repair service for the cheaper instruments which we have done for the past 30 years now, due to the pressure and volume of high quality work on important instruments currently under restoration/conservation. However, as always, we continue to support and provide priority back-up for all instruments originating from Soundpost.