Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc.

What Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc. does

Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc., operating as Great Lakes Violins, is a privately held specialty string instrument retailer and service company headquartered at 5767 Mayfield Road in Cleveland, Ohio. The company sells, rents, repairs, and restores violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and bows, with inventory sourced from a curated set of makers (William Fulton, Alfredo Contino, Gheorghe Tirvana, Vittorio Rossi, Gottfried Schnabl, Nicolae Bistrita, Ernst Heinrich Roth, and others) priced from approximately $1,000 to $15,000+ per instrument. It also distributes proprietary branded products including Zarelon™ FH Bow Hair (a marketed unbreakable alternative to horsehair), Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rests, and GLV Luxe Violin Cases, and runs a 12-month rental program across all four instrument families with free lifetime personalization and adjustments. Founder Dr. Peter Zaret anchors the brand and creative direction, and the company positions 'elite musicians' on its technical and innovation teams to guide restoration and sound enhancement work. Distribution is omnichannel: a walk-in Cleveland showroom for hands-on consultation paired with a Shopify e-commerce storefront shipping to 25+ countries with multi-currency support. Marketing is content-led, anchored by a research blog covering violin acoustics, bridge design, and protein-folding applications to violin construction, complemented by a weekly email newsletter. The business model blends one-time instrument sales, recurring rental subscriptions, professional repair/restoration services, and hardware/accessory sales to professional and developing musicians, orchestras and ensembles, and instrument consignors.

Name

Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc.

Legal name

Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc.

Website

https://zaretandsonsviolins.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc. (dba Great Lakes Violins) is a Cleveland-based specialty retailer that sells, rents, repairs, and restores violins, violas, cellos, basses, and bows, serving professional musicians, students, and ensembles via a Cleveland showroom and a Shopify storefront shipping to 25+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

String Instrument Retail

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG), Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Used & Vintage Musical Instruments Retail (CRALAEAH), Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF)

Keywords

• String instrument retail
• Violin repair services
• Instrument restoration
• Bow hair products
• String instrument rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: Sales of new and restored string instruments including violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Featured instruments include makers such as William Fulton, E. Martin, Alfredo Contino, Gheorghe Tirvana, Vittorio Rossi, Gottfried Schnabl, Nicolae Bistrita, Sino Coetaneo, Ernst Heinrich Roth, and others. Prices range from approximately $1,000 to $15,000+ for individual instruments.
2. Instrument Rentals: 12-month rental program for violin, viola, cello, and double bass instruments. Provides accessible entry point for students and developing musicians with flexible terms.
3. Repair and Restoration Services: Professional repair and restoration services for string instruments. Includes bow rehairing services, particularly with the Zarelon™ unbreakable bow hair option. Restoration guided by musical considerations for elite instrumentalists.
4. Accessories and Consumables: Sales of accessories including GLV Cases (luxury violin cases), Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rests, and Zarelon FH Bow Hair products. Bow rehairs and accessory products provide recurring revenue opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc. (operating as Great Lakes Violins) is a Cleveland-based specialty string instrument retailer that sells, rents, repairs, and restores violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and bows from various luthiers at prices ranging from $1,000 to $15,000+. The company also markets its proprietary Zarelon™ FH unbreakable bow hair technology, branded accessories (GLV Cases, Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rests), 12-month instrument rental programs, and professional sound enhancement and repair services, all supported by a personalized three-step selection process with free adjustments for the lifetime of ownership or rental.

Product overview

Great Lakes Violins, owned by Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc., is a specialty string instrument retailer and service company offering a curated portfolio of handcrafted string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, double basses) from various makers, priced from $1,000 to $15,000. The company differentiates through its proprietary Zarelon™ FH Bow Hair technology—an unbreakable alternative to traditional horsehair—sold both as a standalone product and as part of their bow rehair service. Their offering includes branded accessories (GLV Cases, Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rests), instrument rental programs (12-month terms for violin, viola, cello, and double bass), and professional repair/restoration services. The business model centers on personalized service with free adjustments for the lifetime of ownership or rental.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zarelon™ FH Bow Hair: Proprietary unbreakable bow hair product line
• Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rests
• GLV Cases

Products and services

• Violins Handcrafted violins from makers including William Fulton, E. Martin, Alfredo Contino, Gheorghe Tirvana, Vittorio Rossi, Gottfried Schnabl, Nicolae Bistrita, and Sino Coetaneo, priced from $1,000 to $15,000, targeted at professional and student musicians.
• Violas Handcrafted violas including instruments such as the Ernst Heinrich Roth 1974 16.5" priced at $6,500, for viola players and chamber ensembles.
• Cellos Handcrafted cellos including Gottfried Schnabl and John Juzek models, priced from $1,200, for soloists, students, and ensemble use.
• Double Basses Handcrafted double basses for ensemble, orchestral, and solo bass performance.
• Violin Bows Bows specifically designed and sold for violin performance.
• Viola Bows Bows specifically designed and sold for viola performance.
• Cello Bows Bows specifically designed and sold for cello performance.
• Bass Bows Bows specifically designed and sold for double bass performance.
• Zarelon™ FH Bow Hair Proprietary unbreakable bow hair product marketed as "A PERFORMANCE BOW HAIR" and "INDESTRUCTIBLE SOUND," sold in 1-2 lb quantities as an alternative to traditional horsehair for violin, viola, cello, and bass bows.
• GLV Luxe Violin Case Premium protection case for violins marketed as "Premium Protection with Refined Elegance," part of the GLV (Great Lakes Violins) branded accessories line.
• Zaret Sponge Shoulder Rest Branded shoulder rest accessory bearing the Zaret name, designed for violin comfort and playability.
• Violin Rental 12-month rental program for violins with personalization and free adjustments included for the lifetime of the rental.
• Viola Rental 12-month rental program for violas, including personalization and free adjustments for the lifetime of the rental.
• Cello Rental 12-month rental program for cellos, including personalization and free adjustments for the lifetime of the rental.
• Double Bass Rental Rental program for double basses with personalization and free adjustments for the lifetime of the rental.
• Professional Repair and Restoration Expert repair and restoration services for violins, violas, cellos, and basses, guided by musical considerations for elite instrumentalists.
• Bow Rehair with Zarelon™ Bow rehairing service using the proprietary Zarelon™ unbreakable bow hair technology as an alternative to traditional horsehair.
• Sound Enhancement Sound enhancement services to optimize instrument tonal qualities, performance, and personalized feel through iterative configuration testing.
• Instrument Consignments Consignment service allowing customers to sell their string instruments through Great Lakes Violins.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shar Music: Ann Arbor, Michigan-based mail-order and online retailer of string instruments, bows, cases, and accessories, with rentals and repair services — directly comparable in product mix, GTM (catalog/online), and customer base (students, professionals, orchestras).
• Lemur Music: Online retailer focused on violins, violas, cellos, basses, bows, and accessories, with international shipping — comparable e-commerce-first distribution and product mix to Great Lakes Violins.
• Maestro Strings: Specialty retailer of fine violins, violas, cellos, and bows — comparable focus on curated, higher-end string instruments and accessories.
• Reuning & Son Violins: Boston-area violin specialists selling and restoring fine string instruments, with consignment and appraisal services — comparable to Great Lakes Violins in focus on higher-end instruments, restoration expertise, and consignment.
• Johnson String Instrument: Massachusetts-based violin-family retailer and luthier offering instruments, bows, rentals, and repair/restoration — closely comparable in full-stack retail-plus-service model targeting students, professionals, and ensembles.
• Southwest Strings: Arizona-based online retailer specializing in violins, violas, cellos, basses, bows, cases, and accessories with school-program focus and rental offerings — directly comparable to Great Lakes Violins in catalog breadth, school-channel sales, and rental business.
• Amati Violins: Specialty violin-family retailer offering new and antique instruments, bows, accessories, and rental programs — closely comparable in product breadth across violin/viola/cello/bass and customer segments served.
• The Sound Post: Canadian violin-family retailer and luthier offering instruments, bows, accessories, and repair services — directly comparable specialty retail-plus-service model in a similar niche.

Broad incumbents

• Elderly Instruments: Long-established Michigan-based retailer of new, used, and vintage instruments across all families (guitar, violin, brass, etc.) — overlapping customer base in string instruments but with a much broader catalog and longer history.

Regional players

• Corilon Violins: Munich, Germany-based dealer of fine and antique violins, violas, cellos, and bows with international clientele — comparable product category (fine string instruments) but primarily serving European buyers rather than competing directly in the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peter-zaret-violins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Peter Zaret & Sons Violins, Inc.