Welcome to the String Bass Shop.  Previously located in San Francisco for over 35 years and now in Fort Bragg CA.   Manufacturer of the SBS Flight Case, a rugged double bass shipping trunk.  

Thank you for visiting our web site, we look forward to hearing from you.

It all began back in 1974 when I met with a friend for lunch at Cremona Violin Shop in San Francisco. He was apprenticing to Mr. Nash MonDragon, the owner of the shop. The moment I entered the shop I was captivated by the Old World ambiance, the precision hand tools, smell of varnish and craftsmen meticulously repairing beautiful antique instruments. That day was a major turning point in my life.

That same day I met Mr. Boyd Poulsen, the head repairman of the shop, and one of the finest and most respected craftsmen in the business. The following year under Mr. Poulsen's watchful eye I spent my evenings making my first violin. My skills with tools are excellent (something that I have inherited from my father, a master craftsman in his own right). Making that first violin put those skills to the ultimate test. Not only were my skills challenged, it was a profound emotional experience as well. I had created something that had taken on a life of its own and was now creating beautiful music.

At Mr. Poulsen's urging I began to investigate schools that taught the art of violin-making. Of the available schools, Scuola Internacionale De Luteria in Cremona Italy won hands down. Twenty five years have passed since my time there, yet my memories of those days are as vivid as ever. There I was in the very town that Antonio Stradivarius lived and worked over three hundred years ago. Because of the school's international reputation, I had the opportunity to meet young makers from all over the world. Living in Italy for two years was an enriching and wonderful experience. I cannot imagine a better place to explore and develop one's passion.

After two years of intensive study, I returned to the U.S. and was honored to accept a two-year apprenticeship with Mr. Poulsen. In addition to violins, the shop serviced a majority of the  bass community. I spent most of my time as an apprentice  repairing  basses. I preferred working on basses to the other instruments and enjoyed the interaction with bassists, they in turn appreciated the fine repairs I was learning under the tutelage of Mr. Poulsen. At the end of my two-year commitment, Mr. Poulsen offered me all of his bass clientele. It was a very generous offer and a wonderful opportunity for a young man venturing out on his own.

The String Bass Shop opened its doors in the summer of 1975. The first shop was located in a large Victorian flat in the Mission district of San Francisco. Although the flat was large, the space filled up quickly. I used the front living room as my workshop, and converted the hallway into a makeshift bass gallery.  Over the next 30 odd years, the shop has been located in large warehouses.  Five years ago I left the big city and headed north to Fort Bragg CA along the Mendocino coast where I still do extensive restorations and repairs for loyal clients and new ones, but no longer have a retail store front.  The SBS Flight Case is still manufactured in the Bay Area. 

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