Kenmore Violins

I had the worst experience EVER here. My little girl (6) is Autistic and is very interested in music. We were shopping at Snapdoodle Toys and we decided to pop upstairs to have a look around. She was so excited to be in there and see all of the beautiful violins. We started talking to this man (who I believe is the owner) and I was asking him about renting a violin and what exactly it entails. Without going on and on about our conversation it basically ended with him saying he would not let us rent a violin for her to learn on because it would come back «damaged» whatever that means. I felt very insulted in this all. I fully understand how musical instruments can get damaged, but because my child may have not acted like a «normal» child he wouldn’t let us rent a violin. Children come in all shapes and sizes with many different obstacles to overcome. Needles to say I would not recommend this store. Thank you.

I recently pulled my violin out for the first time in a year and the bridge collapsed on me and wouldn’t stay up, so I looked for a violin shop as I hadn’t had it in since I moved to Washington. I am so glad that I found this shop. Not only did the gentleman there fix my bridge issue the next day (it had never been cut right for my violin) but he also helped to lubricate my pegs, which had never been done, and he replaced my A string (a $ 30 Evah Pirazzi) for no charge, as it had begun to fray while he was tuning. What a fantastic man who totally knows his way around a stringed instrument! I won’t take my violin anywhere else and I can’t wait to take my daughter here when she is ready to start playing!

I’ve been going to Kenmore Violins for the last eight years. Jeff the owner is very knowledgable, patient, and friendly. Every time I visit is a positive experience along with high quality work. Whether it’s a tune-​up on my violin or bow rehair, the outcome is always excellent.

I’m a higher intermediate level violinist and Kenmore Violins is one of the best shops I’ve ever visited in my career playing violin. Jeff (the owner) is a very qualified and talented luthier and each time I go to his shop it’s a great and valuable experience– he always has exactly what I need!
I purchased my first very own violin, bow and case from him and they’ve been working wonderfully! One thing I especially appreciated was that if you’re serious about buying an instrument, you can take 2 or 3 home and play them to find which one to fall in love with! It gave me the chance to not make a rushed decision and let me get to know each instrument.
I highly recommend this shop, and I can guarantee that you’ll love it too.

This is the closest violin shop to me, and I’d heard some good things about it so I decided to take a look.
If you’re in the northshore area and learning Violin or Fiddle, this is a very good place. Jeff is a bit type A. Though he’s also extremely knowledgable. If you give him and his shop a healthy amount of respect he’ll treat you well.
He’s got a great selection of stringed instruments. I went wanting to both check out the shop, and possibly buy a carbon fiber bow. The experience was wonderful, in spite of trying to keep up with the many customers in there. I told him about how much experience I had and the type of bow I was looking for. He gave me a selection of about 10 to choose from in a beginner carbon fiber range, along with an incredibly nice instrument to try them on.
I’ll be honest. This was my first time trying *this many* bows. I’ve only used probably 4 other bows ever. They were all amazingly nice compared to my rental of course. He was sure to tell me he offers 100% trade in value on any instrument (including bows) purchased from his shop. He also told me a small story about how the bow maker personally guaranteed he quality of the bow in his shop (amusing!). I ended up choosing a nice bow with some rosin to go with it.
Jeff is a passionate craftsman proud of his work. Don’t bring drinks in here, be nice. Feel free and ask questions. He’s very knowledgeable and he’ll treat you well.