McDonald String Instruments and Guitar Workshop

Violin, Viola, Cello & Guitar Repair • Custom Builds • Fine Restoration • Traditional Varnish

Schedule a Repair Consultation

Schedule Maintenance

Schedule a Custom Build Consultation

About the Workshop

Craftsmanship Rooted in Tradition. Built on Engineering Precision.

McDonald String Instrument & Guitar Workshop is a full-service luthier studio specializing in violin-family instruments and guitars.

Operating under McDonald Creative Ventures LLC, the workshop combines traditional handcraft methods with a disciplined engineering mindset to deliver precise setups, tonal refinement, and long-term structural integrity.

From student instruments to professional restorations, each piece is treated with respect for sound, history, and playability.

Services include:

Structural repair & crack restoration
Neck resets & fingerboard work
Professional setups & tonal adjustment
Bow rehair & maintenance
Custom instrument design & builds
Traditional oil and spirit varnish work and sales
General instrument clean/polish/maintenance

Our Services

🎻 STRING INSTRUMENT MAINTENANCE
Bow Rehair
Professional bow rehair using quality horsehair. Frog, camber, and screw mechanism inspected during service.
Setup Adjustments
- Bridge alignment
- Soundpost adjustment
- String replacement
- Peg lubrication & fitting
- Minor seam reglue
Fingerboard & Playability
- Light fingerboard dressing
- Nut adjustment
- Action correction
🎸 GUITAR MAINTENANCE
Basic Setup
- Action adjustment
- Truss rod adjustment
- Saddle shaping
- Intonation correction
Fret Maintenance
- Minor fret leveling
- Polishing
- Nut slot adjustment
Structural Checkups
- Brace inspection
- Bridge stability check
- Humidity-related seam inspection
- Soundpost & bridge fitting
- Crack repair & cleating
- Neck resets
- Fingerboard planing
- Peg fitting
- Bass bar replacement
- Seam repairs
- Full restoration work
- Structural crack repair
- Neck resets
- Fretwork & refrets
- Nut & saddle fitting
- Bracing repair
- Setup & tonal optimization
- Pick-up upgrade
- Electrical wiring troubleshooting
Each instrument is built using carefully selected tonewoods and traditional construction methods.
Available:
- Custom violins & violas
- Acoustic guitar builds
- Electric guitar builds
- Modern silent/practice instruments
- Experimental tone designs
- Experimental wood/layout/electricals
Commission builds available by consultation.
Specializing in traditional oil and spirit varnish systems designed to enhance acoustic response while protecting the instrument.
Services include:
- Full re-varnish (when appropriate)
- French polish conservation work
- Retouching & color matching
- Historical finish replication
Traditional finishing methods. No shortcuts.