It is almost always necessary for us to see the instrument or bow being valued in person, however as a first step, we ask you to send through any relevant documentation and pictures of your instrument or bow via our online form. This will give us an idea of what to expect and whether or not the instrument is worth being valued for insurance. After we receive your submission we will be in touch as soon as possible to book an appointment.
If you have the original receipt of purchase, any past valuations or a certificate verifying the authenticity of your instrument or bow, please include a digital copy in your submission.
For instruments, please provide clear pictures of the front, back and side of the scroll, against a plain background. Photos taken on your phone are perfectly fine as long as they are in focus. Please do not include the case. We only need photos of the instrument.
Please also include a picture of the makers label. If your instrument has a label, it will be on the inside of the instrument, which can be seen when you look through the F-holes.
When photographing labels, we recommend using the wide angle lens on an iPhone and placing the instrument under a bright light. If you are unable to take a clear photograph, please provide us with written details of the text on the label.
For bows, please provide pictures of the frog and the tip. Photos taken on your phone are perfectly fine as long as they are in focus. For best results we recommend taking you images under natural window light against a plain background. We may require extra images that involve removing the frog of the bow however, please do not attempt to do this without verbal instruction over the phone.
Cecily McMahon-Pearce, a graduate from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music is an incredibly accomplished musician, having completed her AMus on both violin and viola.
She has toured internationally as an orchestral player and has lived and worked as a string teacher in Sydney, Hong Kong and London.
While living in London, Cecily ventured into the violin trade industry, where she spent 12 years honing her skills as a fine instrument specialist.
Cecily is now the sales manager at The Sydney String Centre, and is passionate about utilising her expertise to guide musicians in selecting the perfect instrument to suit their needs.
Douglas Glanville (Doug) began his musical journey at age four learning the cello. He achieved his Amus while still in high school on a music scholarship and was able to travel around Europe several times performing with various ensembles.
Doug continued playing and performing cello while studying Arts Law at Macquarie university, graduating in 2008. In that same year he travelled to Germany and worked in the violin-making industry under the direction of two master violin makers in the small town of Bubenreuth, Bavaria.
In 2009 Doug returned to Australia and took up the manager’s position at The Sydney String Centre working in both the showroom and the workshop. Under Doug’s leadership, the business has now grown to over 40 people and is the largest violin business in Australia. In 2019 he became the managing director.
