Schuback Violin Shop

I went there for years, when they were still on the east side. His prices were always quite high for everything, but he was the best in town when it came to repairs and restorations. Purchasing instruments and bows there was another story. If you needed a great violin, he could find one for you. Need a great bow? He had a fine selection. But, you had to be prepared to plunk down very big dollars. I did buy a bow from him once. It was marked up quite a bit but it was a good bow. Eventually I forgot about the higher price I’d paid. I didn’t buy my violin from him after all, which was probably a good decision as far as my finances went at that time. His staff did many repairs on several violins I had over the years and I was always 100 percent satisfied with everything they ever did. Nowadays, strings and accessories can be bought online, but 20+ years ago, you couldn’t. You just had to pay the shop’s high prices for them. Oddly, the price of Eudoxa strings is about the same now as it was then. Anyhow, Paul’s shop was always very nice. It was in an old building that had once been a bank (and hence a very secure facility) but he left there 10 – 12 years ago now and it is now Classic Pianos, which is owned by my dear friends Moe and Cathy Unis (Moe of the former famed Portland Moe’s Pianos). Anyhow — I’ll always speak highly of Paul’s shop. Not the cheapest, but definitely the best.

I flew in from out of state specifically to look for violins in the Portland area, there being more higher quality shops in Portland than in Boise, ID, and presumably a greater selection of good instruments in my price range. I called ahead weeks in advance for an appointment and even though the staff had to do some juggling to accommodate my schedule, they went out of their way to make it work.
Schuback’s associate luthier (he himself was out of town) presented me with only four instruments in my price range, and honestly at the top of my range. Three were quite old with pedigrees and one was new. Of those four, three instruments stood out for evenness of tone across all strings, quality, attention to the detail in their set up, and playability. Compared with the dozens of other instruments I’d played and compared at other shops, all the instruments in Shuback’s small selection stood head and shoulders above what I’d tried earlier. I was looking for the best sound and workmanship I could afford.
After picking out an instrument, they changed the set up slightly to meet my individual needs in a way that was quick, professional, and with no fuss.
I’ve seen a comment elsewhere on Unilocal that the prices at Schuback’s shop might be high. That wasn’t my experience. In fact, I thought they were reasonable given the quality of the instruments. What counts as «reasonable» is admittedly subjective, though. For me it was simple. I found an instrument in my price range that I’m thrilled with.
It’s worth noting that Schuback’s shop does have standing hours but they ask you to make an appointment. In my (admittedly limited) experience, it was well worth it. If i need any delicate service done on the one I purchased, I will certainly send my instrument back to this shop in a heartbeat even though I’m out of state.