SOUNDPOST
Letters, emails, online comments
LETTER of the MONTH
BROKEN TRUST
For years I have been angered by news stories concerning damage to stringed instruments by the airlines. Now the boot is on the other foot! A customer browsing in an instrument shop saw a cello that I made in 2016 with one of my fellow luthiers and took it out on trial. There is now a three-inch crack in the back, consistent with the cello being dropped or knocked over in its case. The sad part is that before returning the instrument to the shop, the player took it to an unknown party for repair, without my consent or that of the dealer, and then returned it without him noticing the damage. I now have no choice but to file an insurance claim and make a new back for this cello.
The crack and obvious retouching are visible inside this ring of chalk
When instruments are stolen, we sound the alarm and all the world’s makers are on the lookout to help the musician recover their property. It’s such a pity that some players will resort to dishonest behaviour to avoid taking responsibility for an instrument that represents so many hours of labour for an independent maker like myself, who has served musicians of all stripes for over 35 years.