David Kerr Violin Shop

What David Kerr Violin Shop does

David Kerr Violin Shop is a privately held, founder-owned specialty retailer of stringed instruments and bows, founded in 1976 by David Kerr and operated from a single appointment-based showroom at 4451 S.E. 28th Avenue in Portland, Oregon. The shop maintains what it describes as the largest inventory of violins, violas, cellos, and bows on the U.S. West Coast, with instrument prices ranging from roughly $600 student models to over $60,000 for fine antique and contemporary pieces, and bows ranging from $500 to over $20,000. All transactions occur in-person; the firm does not operate e-commerce.

The business generates revenue across five streams: (1) instrument and bow sales; (2) repair, restoration, and bow rehair services performed by trained luthiers; (3) a monthly instrument rental program ($25–$55/month with damage protection) including short-term rentals for visiting musicians; (4) written and verbal appraisals, certificates of authenticity, consignment, and a 50% buy-back policy for instruments purchased at the shop; and (5) instrument loans. Pricing is publicly disclosed only for rentals; instrument and bow prices are quoted in-person.

The shop serves four customer segments — beginning student musicians, professional performers, collectors and estates, and visiting musicians — and reports approximately 12 staff including the owner, multiple instrument repair and restoration technicians, bow repair specialists, a sales manager, and a business manager. The team includes several graduates of the Violin Making School of America, with senior hires added as recently as 2025. The owner co-founded the Portland Baroque Orchestra in 1984 and The Luthier's Library, an online archive of historic instruments serving luthiers, dealers, and collectors. There are no funding rounds, no parent company, no acquisitions, and no e-commerce channel; growth to date has been organic through staff additions and rental program expansion.

Name

David Kerr Violin Shop

Legal name

David Kerr Violin Shop, Inc.

Website

https://kerrviolins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David Kerr Violin Shop is a privately held, founder-owned Portland-based specialty retailer founded in 1976, offering sales, repair, restoration, appraisal, rental, and consignment services for violins, violas, cellos, and bows. It serves students, professionals, collectors, and visiting musicians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Retail

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG), Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE)

Keywords

• Stringed instrument retail
• Violin repair services
• Bow restoration services
• Instrument rental program
• Luthier craftsmanship

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: Sale of violins, violas, cellos, and baroque instruments at various price points from $600 to $60,000+. The inventory is described as the largest on the West Coast.
2. Bow Sales: Sale of violin, viola, and cello bows ranging from $500 to $10,000+, including rare and fine antique bows.
3. Repair and Restoration Services: Instrument repair, restoration, rehair, and setup services performed by skilled luthiers. Free estimates provided.
4. Bow Repair Services: Specialized bow restoration and repair including rehair services with approximately one week turnaround.
5. Appraisal Services: Written appraisals for insurance, tax, or probate requirements. Verbal estimates typically free. Certificates of authenticity provided.
6. Instrument Rentals: Monthly rental program for violins, violas, and cellos with damage protection. First 12 months of rent may apply toward purchase. Free exchanges during rental period.
7. Consignments and Trade-ins: Consignment services, full trade-in value for instruments purchased from shop, buy-back at 50% of purchase price for items in good condition.
8. Short-term Rentals: Short-term rentals up to 30 days for visiting musicians, with regular rental prices and 3-month security deposit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

David Kerr Violin Shop sells violins, violas, cellos, and bows at price points from roughly $500 to over $60,000, including rare antique and contemporary instruments. It complements sales with expert repair and restoration, bow rehair, written appraisals, consignments, trade-ins, buy-backs, loans, certificates of authenticity, student instrument rentals, and short-term rentals for visiting musicians, all delivered from a single Portland, Oregon showroom by appointment.

Product overview

David Kerr Violin Shop is a traditional stringed instrument retail business offering one of the largest inventories on the West Coast. The portfolio centers on handcrafted and vintage violins, violas, and cellos across all price points, supplemented by a comprehensive selection of bows including violin, viola, cello, and Baroque/Classical variants. Services include repair and restoration by experienced luthiers, appraisals and certificates of authenticity, consignments, trades, buy-backs, and loans. The shop also operates a rental program with short-term and student instrument options, where the first 12 months of rental payments can be applied toward instrument purchases. Bow services include rehair and restoration. The shop provides free estimates for repairs and a one-week trial period for instrument and bow purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Violins

Quantifiable outcome

• First 12 months of rental fees may be applied to purchase of any instrument in the shop
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Luthier's LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline archive of fine, historic instruments co-founded by David Kerr. Offers consistent and comprehensive measurements, photographs, and information about instruments from private collections and museums. Dedicated to preserving information about historic instruments for luthiers, dealers, collectors, and enthusiasts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ifshin Violins: El Cerrito, CA-based violin shop offering instruments, bows, rentals, and repair services. Highly comparable West Coast peer in the violin specialty retail category.
• Fiddlershop: Online-first violin and bow retailer with a strong beginner-to-intermediate selection. Competes with David Kerr for mid-tier instrument and bow sales, especially with remote customers.
• Carriage House Violins: Specialty violin shop in Johnson City, TN operating a large stringed instrument inventory with sales, rentals, and repair services. Closely comparable business model to David Kerr across all major revenue streams.
• Bein & Fushi: Chicago-based fine violin and bow dealer specializing in historic Italian instruments, restoration, and appraisals. Comparable at the high-end of David Kerr's business, especially for collectible violins and antique bows.
• Tarisio: New York-based auction house for fine stringed instruments and bows, with a significant online catalog and archive. Comparable at the collector/professional level and a partial substitute for the shop's consignment business.
• Reuning & Son Violins: Boston-based violin dealer offering fine instruments, bows, and appraisals. Comparable in the high-end/professional segment, particularly for collectors and professional musicians.
• Amati Fine Instruments: High-end violin and bow dealer focused on fine Italian instruments and consignments. Comparable at the collector and professional tier where David Kerr also transacts.
• Shar Music: Large online and catalog string instrument and bow retailer based in Ann Arbor, MI. Sells violins, violas, cellos, bows, and accessories across all price tiers — direct competitor in stringed instrument retail with overlapping customer base.
• Johnson String Instrument: Newton, MA-based violin, viola, cello, and bow retailer with a strong school rental program — the most direct analog to David Kerr's retail-plus-rental model, serving students, professionals, and educators.

Regional players

• Claire's Music: West Linn, OR-based general music retailer (band, orchestra, guitars). Comparable in Oregon music retail and serves overlapping student and school orchestra segments, though broader than David Kerr's narrow stringed-instrument focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kerrviolinshop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/david-kerr-violin-shop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about David Kerr Violin Shop