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October 2024 by Carol Cardwell
I just purchased a Revelle violin and Artino bow and I am thrilled with my purchase and the process. I live in North Carolina and on the recommendation of my violin teacher I called Claire Givens Violins. They talked to me about what I wanted in a violin, gave me options for the bows and shipped me two violins and three bows to try. One of the violins was the Revelle and I just fell in love with it! A huge shout out to Willa and Loren who helped me in this process. I will be a life long customer!
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October 2024 by Gabe Baker
I’m a touring cellist and had a broken bridge repair that needed to be fixed last minute the day before our next show. They gratefully were able to take my appointment, Doug had a new bridge made and set, & my fingerboard re-glued be the end of the day. Wonderful service and expert craftsman-ship. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Thank you!
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October 2024 by Jane Surrell
I can’t say enough good things about Claire Givens Violins! I recently visited to upgrade my bow for the cello I purchased last year from Givens. In both cases I received exemplary service, marked by how knowledgeable the staff are and how well they listened to what I was looking for, and complemented by the extensive inventory of fine cellos and bows that they carry. After playing many bows in the shop, I was able to take a few home for a week. I live in a remote area and the home trial period was appreciated for both purchases. By working with Claire Givens Violins I was able to find a remarkable sounding cello and the perfect bow that my cello just loves. My cello sounds amazing and is so inspiring to play! Thank you Claire and Willa!
The luthier shop at Givens is wonderful as well. They did an excellent job with repairing and rehairing some bows for me, as well as a tuneup for my fine instrument. I look forward to an annual visit to the shop with my cello.
I highly recommend Claire Givens Violins for both the purchase and care of fine stringed instruments!
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October 2024 by Scott Smith
From my first phone call to the purchase of my violin I was met with knowledgeable, professional, warm and kind Loren, a sales associate. She took me through the process that I had been through so many years ago of choosing a new violin from so many wonderful options. She offered accompanying bows from a range of prices and with her assistance I chose one that really resonated with the instrument. The beauty and craftmanship of the Dipper violin that I chose was beyond my initial expectations. The instrument came with a wonderful story told to me by Andrew Dipper, himself, and an even more wonderful name, "The Perfect Storm." Loren, Matt and the staff provided a wonderful purchase experience that I truly cherish. Thank you, all.
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September 2024 by Bohui Lv
We had a wonderful experience purchasing our daughter’s first cello at Claire Givens. We bought a 1/4 cello, and the quality is fantastic—both the instrument and the bow are beautifully crafted. The staff were patient and allowed us ample time to try out cello with different bows, which helped us feel confident in our decision. Their knowledge and guidance made the whole process easy and enjoyable. Highly recommend this store to anyone looking for high-quality instruments and exceptional customer service!
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September 2024 by Monica Danielson
We purchased a wonderful bow for our daughter and are so impressed with Claire Givens Violins. The communications and interactions with the staff were timely, helpful, and kind. Their service is top notch. The bow is lovely and helps our daughter make beautiful music. We highly recommend!
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September 2024 by Keiji Fukuda
I recently purchased a superb cello bow made by Francois Malo from Claire Givens Violins. I worked closely with Willa Eacret, who works in the shop and is a cellist. Since I live in Atlanta, Willa arranged for 4 bows to be sent to me for home trial. The bows arrived as described and were very well packed. While all of the bows were excellent, the one that Willa recommended I try turned out to be a superb match for my cello. Throughout the process, I had extensive contact with Willa and Claire Givens and both were friendly, highly professional, knowledgable and helpful. The quality of service was exemplary and the overall experience was a genuine pleasure. I have absolutely no hesitations in recommending Claire Givens Violins.
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September 2024 by Martha Heath-Sinclair
Buying a high quality cello for my daughter could have been a very stressful situation. Willa and Claire Givens Violins made it a great experience. She had pre-selected a number of cellos for us to try and my daughter (and her professor) played them all - plus a few more - and spent the afternoon discerning the qualities and narrowing down her choice. With two final choices, we brought them home for a week to play and for others to listen. With her final choice, they were able to install her two posture pegs and do a bow rehair with a same day turn-around so that we didn't have to make an additional trip to Minneapolis. We were quite impressed with how personally involved Claire Givens herself was involved in our selection process. The personal touch made a huge difference! All in all, a great experience and I really feel that this has become our 'string home.' My daughter has a beautiful Italian cello to take her through college, grad school, and into her professional life!
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September 2024 by Brigid Kostka
Great customer service! Excellent selection and expert advice. Even if you have rental credit somewhere else, take a look at Claire Givens Violins - there may be a credit for you at Claire's too.
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June 2024 by Dena Baker
It was an absolute pleasure working with the good people at Claire Givens Violins. I don't think I've ever had such a great shopping experience and feel so fortunate to have found them. Due to receiving friendly, attentive and knowledgeable help, I am confident that I bought the right cello bow and am sure I'll enjoy using it for years to come. Thank you Claire Givens for choosing employees who care about good customer service!
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May 2024 by Qxotic Bg
Terrific experience, very professional. I described the characteristics I wanted and they matched them. Very pleased.
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March 2024 by Kathy Schneider
The staff at Claire Givens is absolutely phenomenal! They are incredibly knowledgeable and always answer any questions that I have. The staff is happy to recommend products and have given me lots of helpful info to keep my instrument in perfect playing condition. I absolutely love the attention to detail and the care that they give my violin and bow each time I visit. I highly recommend Claire Givens for all your stringed instrument needs!
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March 2024 by Norm Malenke
Excellent transaction with the purchase of this Manoel Francisco 3-star cello bow. This is from the same great folks I remember when I purchased my cello from them 26 years ago.
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November 2023 by Chris C.
As fate would have it, I found myself 1200 miles away from my Wisconsin home in the deep South, playing fiddle/violin shows on the Atlantic beach nearly every day. I needed bows rehaired and I needed a new bow to replace my "baby" while it sent away to get rehaired. NOTHING. There was nobody in the area that could help me out. I recalled visiting Claire Givens Violins about 4 decades ago. I've been playing for 52 years. It was a long shot (literally 1500 miles away) but I reached out to Claire Givens Violins and not only did they hook me up with some OVER THE MOON new bows, they rehaired my "baby" and did a remarkable job. Every single facet of Claire Givens Violins BLEW ME AWAY from their professionalism, knowledge, feel, vibe, service, honesty, and above all, LOVE for violins and the violinist (ME)! I give Claire Givens Violins TEN STARS on a 1-5 rating. Chris Cary
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November 2023 by Jose Abdelnoor
User friendly and high quality website.
