Client Reviews of Bridge Street Violins
Take a peek at experiences of your colleagues & musician friends below.
Rental Service Experience Testimonials
“Fantastic service!
The service I have received from Bridge Street Violins has been second to none. I had been looking for the perfect place to rent a viola from for a while. The extensive information on the website made the process very easy to navigate. Laurentius contacted me via email the same day and talked me through the whole process.
Even though he did not have the size of the first one I picked out in stock, he offered me a complimentary upgrade in the size I needed and sent out the instrument the next working day. He even let me choose which courier to send the instrument with! You really couldn’t ask anything more in terms of service.
Now I have received the instrument, I can test to the fact that it has been set up perfectly and is of excellent quality. Bridge Street Violins have earned a loyal customer and I will be coming straight to Laurentius when I am ready to buy a viola in the future.”
“The New Kid
A truly exceptional experience with BSV.
My wish was to hire a violin to see if it would be something I would take to.
I am thoroughly enjoying learning to play my new pal ‘Finlay the Fiddle’. As a complete newcomer I had no idea what to choose. Laurentius was helpful, kind, respectful and patient. He listened to me every step of the way, and it is impossible to find fault with the experience.
I did have a slight nervous wobble about tuning at one point, but my query was dealt with immediately. Exemplary experience! Laurentius creates his own realm of customer experience, and is just wonderful in every way… his knowledge, passion, enthusiasm. I’m thoroughly enjoying my violin. I would recommend everyone to try Bridge St!”
“Dear Laurentius, Thank you!
Please find enclosed lovely Finlay. It’s been an absolute pleasure to do business with you! I’m so very sad that time will not allow me to play - but maybe in the future. I won’t hesitate to recommend you.
With warmest regards and very best wishes, ”
“I can’t praise the personalised service of Bridge Street Violins enough. Despite the fact that I was only ordering a very basic and reasonably-priced student viola for hire and a shoulder-rest, Laurentius Huige was extremely attentive, taking care to ensure I received exactly the right instrument and rest for my needs. Given the importance of ergonomics with the viola, this was greatly appreciated.
He was also extremely diligent in following up with the order, ensuring that I received the instrument on time and in good order. I felt well set-off and supported in my music-learning journey - and Bridge Street Violins will definitely be my first port of call for any further needs I have for this.”
“I hired a violin from Bridge Street Violins online - I’m an intermediate player who was looking to upgrade and I found one at a fantastic price here. Laurentius was in touch throughout the entire process, kept me up to date on the shipping process, and offered advice and guidance the entire time.
I love the violin I hired, and when it’s time to get my own, I’ll definitely reach out to Laurentius again.”
“Thank you Bridge Street Violins! I was renting a brand new violin whilst starting up with lessons but wanted to own the violin so they came up with a brilliant payment plan to fit my needs.
They were very helpful and feel I can go to them for any issues. I would highly recommend!”
“Exceptional Service and Quality Instruments
Bridge Street Violins provided exceptional service and high-quality instruments for my daughter’s violin journey since 2019 until now. Laurentius was so understanding during Covid, offered affordable rentals with credit towards purchase, and his expertise in recommending instruments was invaluable. Highly recommend!
In January 2019, we began renting a violin for my daughter from Bridge Street Violins. From the very first interaction Laurentius impressed us with his helpfulness and understanding. This was especially true during the challenging times of Covid. He worked with us on the rental payments, ensuring my daughter could continue playing without interruption.
Whenever we had questions or needed assistance, he was always there with a friendly and knowledgeable response. The violin rental itself was very affordable, and when it came time to purchase a new instrument, Laurentius generously considered the rental payments we’d made.
His expertise helped us choose the next violin for my daughter’s growing skillset. He took the time to understand her needs and recommend the perfect instrument. Additionally, the ordering and shipping for the new violin was prompt and efficient.
Overall, the quality of the instruments we rented and purchased has been outstanding. But what truly sets Bridge Street Violins apart is the exceptional service. Laurentius’s dedication to his customers throughout the past five years has been fantastic. We highly recommend Bridge Street Violins to anyone seeking a supportive and knowledgeable music shop.”
“Excellent all round service, both repairs and rentals, would recommend to all as the best available. Thank You.”
Purchasing, Selling and Re-homing Experience Testimonials
“Wow, what more can I say! The service I received from Bridge Street Violins has been amazing!
From my very first contact with Laurentius he listened to my needs and offered advice and solutions, he really knows his stuff! He was extremely patient with my decision making and went the extra mile to make sure I was happy with the cello, bow and case that I purchased, which I most definitely am!
He also arranged a payment plan to suit me which meant that as a beginner I could afford a better instrument to grow with instead of having to settle for less. He was extremely accommodating with my numerous visits to his workshop (my daughter loved meeting the cats), making sure to offer timings convenient to my schedule.
I really can’t fault the service or the cello and Laurentius is lovely to deal with, I have already been recommending him to others. I will definitely be a customer for life and can only advise that others try Bridge Street Violins for themselves, they won’t be disappointed!”
“Thank you Bridge Street Violins! I was renting a brand new violin whilst starting up with lessons but wanted to own the violin so they came up with a brilliant payment plan to fit my needs. They were very helpful and feel I can go to them for any issues. I would highly recommend!”
“I only have positive comments to describe my experience of purchasing a cello from Bridge Street Violins. From the outset, Laurentius listened, offered sensible advice and shared his extensive knowledge about the history of cello making. Laurentius even arranged for me to try some suitable instruments closer to my home. Outstanding customer service.”
“Fantastic personalised service!
I was looking for a new cello. I spoke with Laurentius on the phone and he guided me through considering what size might suit me better than my current, huge beginners instrument. We then discussed the sound that I preferred and how I like to play. He is a musician and so understands musicians and that we also like to chose instruments in different ways. I believe my cello found me! Shortly after our first call, Laurentius contacted me to say that he may have found the instrument for me. After setting up 3 celli so I had a few to compare, he then visited me at home!
This is such a superior service to any other supplier I have heard of. It works so well, I was relaxed in my own space and could hear the celli where I usually play. There was absolutely no pressure at all. I was offered the opportunity to have any of these instruments for 2 weeks to trial them. As it was I fell in love with one and she has been my constant companion since. This was far and away the best experience I had during my months of searching for the right instrument.”
“Highly recommend Bridge Street Violins! I am so happy with the service I’ve received. Laurentius is fantastic, warm and respectful towards the instruments and customers. I just sold my old violin through him and feel so happy it’s now re-homed.
Selling my violin was a huge decision and he’s treated the sale with respect and warmth throughout. I’m delighted that the instrument will now be used by someone else who will love it and am so happy with the outcome. Strongly recommend!”
“Thank you so much! You are a true Artisan. Mum’s neglected old violin sings again and it has a new lease of life with a new family. I am sure it made a fabulous Christmas gift. All the best and thank you very much again for all your help.”
“Took in a violin that had been sitting in the loft for some years and really pleased with the service Bridge Street Violins gave it. The subsequent sale was professional and went very smoothly. Thank you”
“Thank you so much for the good news. My daughter is delighted the instrument we consigned with you sold so quickly. Thank you for your efforts on our behalf. We are very grateful.”
Restoration and Maintenance Services Testimonials
“Dear Laurens, thank you so much for the wonderful job you did on the cello! It sounds soooo much better and back just in time to do another recording this week so I’m very grateful. Lovely to meet Heather who is delightful! Have a safe trip back to the UK and thank you again for all the hard work at such short notice too.”
“Here is a luthier whose services I have used more than once and had numerous email communications. He is so helpful, friendly and professional, ready to give good advice backed up by excellent knowledge. I have entrusted him with my cherished violin on more than one occasion and I shall continue to do so. Thank you Laurentius!”
“Thank you so much! You are a true Artisan. Mum’s neglected old violin sings again and it has a new lease of life with a new family. I am sure it made a fabulous Christmas gift. All the best and thank you very much again for all your help.”
“I gave Laurens my father’s old violin to restore. He worked for the Ministry of Supply as a mechanical engineer during WW2. I had never heard it play before as I was too young to know him before his death in the Blitz in July 1944. It sounded beautiful when he played it for me.”
“Great service! Very helpful and knowledgeable and clearly explained what needed to be done. (Plus his cat kept me company whilst I waited). Would definitely recommend.”
“Quality Luthiery! Laurens took on a huge project with an old violin who had suffered extensive damage but has incredible meaning to me. I am not a luthier or woodworking expert but the amount of work that had to be put into this project was staggering. Yet he approached the task with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure!
Laurens provides the client with regular contact and updates you at every step of the journey. His diligence and dedication to these instruments is reflected in the quality of the work, which is off of the charts and you could not be happier with the finished result he provides. He is friendly, personable and loves to hear stories about the different violins he encounters.
I am so grateful for the work he has done in bringing a violin that is so significant to me back to life, and for his patience and understanding of the instrument. I can guarantee I will never use another luthier, because the skill and service are unmatched!”
“After your service my Barak Norman cello sounds fresh and alive once more. I fell in love with its sound again.
Thank you and best greetings.”
“You made the violin I inherited from my grandfather playable. I never knew him, but now I have something that he cherished and loved. Thank you so much for playing it for me when you brought it back. I was so happy to hear it after all this time. It sounded wonderful. You really have made my weekend!”
“I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ for doing such a really superb job on the viola. It sounds as never before: the new bridge/sound post repositioning has given the instrument a wonderful new, freer-sounding voice. I love the look of it too: the new tailpiece and the general clean-up have transformed it. Next time I need anything doing, I shall know who to ask! Have a very good Christmas.”
“ I cannot recommend you enough Laurens. You made a beautiful job of my violin and got the best sound possible. Excellent service and knowledge.
Top bloke.”
“Laurens, thank you so much for your extensive restoration on my cello!
The neck is completely new and looks wonderful, it looks a lot better than it did before too. The sound is also a lot better and easier to play than I remember, is this true?”
“Excellent all round service, both repairs and rentals, would recommend to all as the best available. Thank You.”
“Massive improvement to my violin set-up.
I had been struggling for quite some time to find a shoulder rest and chin rest that enabled a comfortable playing position. Laurentius spent time carefully assessing my playing position, trialling different options - with great results. In addition he spotted a couple of minor repairs that were needed to my violin, and very kindly resolved these within the same appointment.
I could not recommend Bridge Street violins highly enough. Brilliant, personable service. Remarkable value for money. I’m very pleased that I took time to drive over to Billinghay rather than ordering online elsewhere.”
“Hi Laurentius, thank you so much... my cello, she has NEVER sounded so beautiful - it brought tears to my eyes... You are a ‘doctor’, you don’t tune bodies, you tune souls... You hand over pure quality and it was such a pleasure to meet you & your wonderful partner!”
“What kind of ‘magician’ are you?! My viola sounds a thousand times better and the tone is more ‘free’ and ‘open’. I also hear more overtones, is this possible?
Thank you so much for your work on my instrument!”