About
My name is Brad Holst - I am a luthier and the owner of Holst Violins. Music has been - and is - an important part of my life and I enjoy being able to help others in their musical journeys. Most often I am asked to either improve a musician’s current instrument or to set up a trial of select instruments and help, if needed, in the process of upgrading their instrument - I have a large inventory of quality string instruments for sale to offer to musicians.
I have been working on violin-family instruments - violins, violas, cellos, and basses (I don’t work on fretted instruments) - for over 30 years and enjoy the challenge of getting the most out of every instrument that comes across my bench . There are many, many variables to consider when setting up an instrument. For example, tiny tweaks to the soundpost or bridge can make a noticeable difference in tone and response so I spend quite a bit of time with each instrument, measuring, testing, and making adjustments to ensure optimal tone and playability.
When not luthiering, I enjoy outdoor activities, play guitar, fiddle, mandolin, piano, and lately have been playing Irish tenor banjo in local sessions.
For the curious, you can find out more about my journey into the field of luthiery by clicking on “My Story” below.
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In 1984 or 85, I heard the fiddle tune, Ashokan Farewell, and the haunting, bittersweet melody made an impact; I began thinking about learning to play the violin. Finally, in 1990, I bought a violin for a couple hundred dollars and took a few lessons. Although I didn’t stick with the lessons (a mistake), I kept at it, picking up new fiddle tunes faster than technique.
In the early 90’s I began looking for a better violin; I discovered Ebay and bought my first “auction” violin, followed shortly by the next….and the next…. Of course they all needed work, so I began picking up the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills to fix them, soliciting advice from local shops whenever possible. It didn’t take long to get sucked into the world of these magical musical boxes with their romantic histories, their secrets, and, above all, their bewitching voices which spoke to me on a level words can’t describe.
For the next 20 years I moonlighted as a luthier while teaching middle and high school science. My weakness for acquiring violins resulted in a never-ending stream of large cardboard boxes ending up on my doorstep and I started selling the ones I had restored online or on consignment at Cripple Creek and Bellwood in Ashland. Specialized tools also had a way of finding their way to my porch.
In 2013 Iturned my hobby into a profession - I began working at the Bellwood Violin Shop in Ashland doing repairs and instrument set ups in a position I would hold for 4 1/2 years. I also attended violin making and repair workshops with Sacramento maker, Steve Lohmann, and benefitted from private tutoring in various other shops. The website, Maestronet.com, was also a great source for learning through being able to interact with some of the top luthiers in the world.
I intensified my efforts to build up my own inventory of instruments and began developing violin teacher contacts throughout Oregon and northern California. To help provide instruments for these teachers and their students I became a travelling violin dealer, loading up my car with instruments and driving from one instrument trial to the next – mostly in Roseburg, Eugene, Corvallis, Salem, and Portland (Eureka and Redding on occasion). Many instruments found new homes through this process.
Now located in the north end of Grants Pass with a home-based shop, I am doing less road trips and selling/repairing more instruments locally. I am especially fortunate to be able to provide services for the fantastic Grants Pass middle and high school orchestras. I also enjoy being the “Camp Luthier” for the West Cascades Fiddle Camp every summer.