Musikstudio "Soli Deo Gloria"

18/08/2026

From a colleague, too good not to share...applies to other instruments, too.

Williams Fine Violins picture of the day. It happens.

12/08/2026

Doing some piano work at Ramstein HS this week before their students return.

Using my dad's old tools--he was a professional piano technician for 40+ years!

Fun to think about how many pianos these tools have touched over the years, and how many hundreds of thousands of strings have been adjusted by this tuning hammer--and it's not done yet. A little bit of my dad's legacy that lives on. :)

11/08/2026

Our biggest restoration project of the Summer is finished!

We completed the overhaul of this Boosey & Hawkes "400" Bassoon this week, and it turned out great! This instrument had been well-loved over the years, and played a LOT. This made restoration of the keywork a challenge, but in the end, the metal polished out and replated quite nicely.

After putting in all new pads and corks, and getting the instrument together and adjusted, the positive aspects of this instrument really shine through: well-designed, ergonomic, well made, and with thoroughly seasoned wood, this bassoon is a joy to play. The instrument blows freely, with rich, warm sound, and flexible response in all registers. Paired with a brand new case, bocal and reed cases, and some other special touches, this instrument is ready to go!

While Boosey & Hawkes is a UK brand, this bassoon was likely made as a stencil by Adler in Germany, and we obtained it from a supplier in Bulgaria. With a whisper lock, high D key, and lots of rollers, this is a terrific intermediate level instrument! We have this and another bassoon currently available at our studio.

See the photo captions for more information!

28/07/2026

A while back I posted a photo of Benny Goodman with his favorite clarinet throughout the 50s, a Selmer (Paris) "Centered Tone" model. I recently found an instrument from this period, well-loved, but in good condition and no cracks in the wood.

Restoring this instrument was a lot of fun; solid silver keys made polishing the instrument a breeze, no re-plating necessary, and it went together very easily.

Restored back to its original glory, it's not hard understand why Benny Goodman loved these horns so much; their big bore and big tone holes give these instrument a huge, gorgeous sound. Paired with a Vandoren 5JB mouthpiece and a Rovner Vista ligature, this is a terrific jazz clarinet, perfect for big band or dixieland.

21/07/2026

On the workbench this week: a Bassoon overhaul!!

A while back I obtained a Boosey & Hawkes "400" bassoon, which while a UK brand, was made as a stencil by Adler in Germany. I obtained it from a supplier in Bulgaria, of all places. It's a good,solid, intermediate level instrument, but it's clearly seen some hard use over the years, probably as a school instrument somewhere.

After getting the old pads out, we polished the keys and re-plated those that had some pitting. The body also needed some help; bassoon body work is similar to string work, in that instead of metal or grenadilla ebony, bassoons use lacquer or varnish over a softer maple wood.

In the photos you can see I plugged all the tenons and tone holes with silicone plugs; this allows me to check the airtight integrity of each seperate piece, and find otherwise hidden cracks.

The bell ring was also missing on this instrument, so I went to work on CAD to design and print a replacement. It took several tries, but I finally made a part that looks exactly like the original and fits perfectly.

After restoring the varnish on the body and polishing the posts, all that remains is to re-pad, re-assemble and adjust the instrument. Stay tuned for more!

15/07/2026

Blatant Viola Propaganda... :)

15/07/2026

From our restoration workshop during this hot German Summer, here is a beautifully restored Buffet Crampon E13 Clarinet!

We completely overhauled this instrument, carefully polishing and replating the posts and keys before replacing the corks and pads. After careful regulation and play tests, this clarinet is ready to go, and would be a terrific step-up instrument for an intermediate level student. It feels great to play, with solid pitch, lots of control, and that big, velvety smooth sound for which Buffet clarinets are known.

Come by and try it out!

15/07/2026

We're pleased to offer C.A. Götz instruments, and we use their excellent pegs, tailpieces and chinrests on our restored instruments as well.

When you’re on stage, it’s just the two of you. You and your Instrument. What happens between you two, is what shapes the story.🎶

But that moment only works if you can trust your setup completely. Pegs that hold their tuning. A tailpiece that doesn’t shift under pressure. A chinrest that feels like it’s always been part of you. 🎻

Craftsmanship you can rely on, handmade in Markneukirchen since 1884. 🤍💙🤍

14/07/2026

Congrats to our students and JSOKL musicians who participated in the Musikus recital program in Weilerbach at the end of May! Violin, viola, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, piano, we heard them all!

Yes, we're a bit behind on this one, but I just recieved this photo from a parent, and it's too late to congratulate a job well done!

24/06/2026

This cool photo just showed up on my feed, with three legendary Russian composers visiting jazz legend Benny Goodman in 1958. What makes this photo even cooler is that the same model of clarinet Benny Goodman is holding in this photo is currently on my workbench! I'm overhauling a Selmer Paris "Centered Tone" clarinet from the late 1950s. It's a terrific instrument, and I can't wait to show you the before and after photos. Stay tuned!

Dmitri Shostakovich with Benny Goodman, Tikhon Khrennikov, and Dmitri Kabalevsky. Basin Street East Club in Manhattan. New York. 21 November 1958. Credit: UPI Telephoto. Courtesy of Bryan Rowell. #ДмитрийШостакович #Шостакович subscribe at dschjournal.com/subscribe-to-the-dsch-journal