Our Satisfied Customers

In 2009 I bought a beautiful early 19th century Italian violin from Sean. The instrument is in wonderful condition and I thank Sean for his clarity and professionalism.

My Nicolo Gagliano violin sounds great. Thank you Sean.

Sean Bishop’s shop should be the first port of call for all viola players, always a fine selection of old and new instruments and bows. I love my Noel Burke bow.

Sean, takk for at du har hjulpet studentene mine med italienske fioliner de siste par årene! Oppsettet, kvaliteten på instrumentene og innbytte mulighetene – er helt supert!

I bought my beautiful Capicchioni from Sean in 2008. I would not have found such an instrument without him. He has always been brilliant with my students too.

Mil gracias Sean por proporcionarme viola y arco tan extraordinarios. La experiencia de conocer tu colección ha sido excepcional, y por eso, después de estar en tu taller, tengo la seguridad de que la compra ha sido acertada, en todos los aspectos, y al cien por cien. Gracias también por el trato recibido, inmejorable en todo momento. Un abrazo, José Manuel Saiz.

제가 예산했던 것으로 살 수 있는 최고의 활을 만났습니다. 저와 저의 바이올린에게 어울리는 활을 만날 수 있도록 친절히 도와주셔서 감사해요 숀!

We recommend Sean Bishop for any Orchestra or Ensemble for his help, knowledge and enthusiasm for fine instruments.

Thank you for helping me find this remarkable JB Vuillaume. It fits so well with the quartet!

Thank you for my new bow…what a great selection you have

Thank you for finding me the fine Alessandro Gagliano viola!

Sean has a constant circulation of very high level bows, both modern and fine old bows. Being a string player he has a good sense of taste and chooses high quality bows. I have my Victor Fetique from him.

I first visited Bishop’s Instruments and Bows when I was just a teenager and have always been excellently guided by Sean!

I purchased a very fine Modern Cremonese Viola there which I used for my first performances of many different concertos, as well as several great bows including the Lamy which I play on today!

I was also lucky enough to receive a great modern bow as part of the prize at the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition from Bishop’s and am very grateful to Sean for sponsoring prizes at several of the competitions which I participated in!

I heard people speak of a golden age of modern bow making; but it is only thanks to the wonderful selection of new bows at Sean Bishop’s shop that I have been able to discover the truth of this for myself (and in the process find a couple of wonderful bows which I use regularly ). I know of no better place to start one’s search, or any comparable collection.

´J’ai eu le plaisir de faire la connaissance de Sean Bishop qui m’a présenté une très belle et interessante collection d’archets.
Sean s’est montré très accueillant, compréhensif tout en témoignant une souplesse qui est nécessaire et précieuse quant au choix d’un bel archet. Choix qui peut se faire cornélien et qui s’est finalement porté en ce qui me concerne sur un magnifique Vigneron.
Merci !
Doriane’

On my regular visits I am always more than stunned to view and try Bishop’s enormous bow and instrument collection. Something for everyone! I even found a bow and viola myself………

Suuret kiitokset upeasti soivasta Marinus Capicchioni viulusta!
Seanilla on aina ollut vankalla ammattitaidolla valittuja soittimia ja jousia!
Parasta palvelua!!!

Heikki Hannikainen
Violinist from Tampere Filharmonia

“Sean very kindly posted me a fantastic selection of modern bows midway through the pandemic, each one representing the best of what each maker had to offer. Thank you Sean for facilitating this process, I’m very pleased with my brand new Pierre Guillaume! The standard of bow making really seems to be at an all time high…”

Thomas Isaac, Co-Principal Cellist, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

“Thanks so much, Sean, for helping me find my bow. Having tried a fantastic selection, I feel like I’ve finally found “the one!”

Eoin Schmidt-Martin, violist – Carducci String Quartet

“I visited Bishop Instruments & Bows a few times. I trust Sean’s judgement and I also very much like Martin’s impeccable rehairs and repairs. Recently, I had a wonderful experience trying out several bows in the comfort of my home in Singapore from a fantastic selection Sean sent over. I ended up purchasing one, which I absolutely love. Thank you so much, Sean!

Επισκέφτηκα τρεις με τέσσερις φορές το μαγαζί του Sean και πάντα ήταν πολύ ευγενικός και εξυπηρετικός!
Έχει ποικιλία αξιόλογων βιολιών και δοξάριων σε ευρύ φάσμα τιμών!
Ο εσωτερικός χώρος του μαγαζιού είναι εξαιρετικός και όποτε είμαι εκεί έχω άπλετο χρόνο να δοκιμάσω τα δοξάρια και τα βιολιά.
Συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα!

It is a special  experience to be in the Bishop’s  showroom surrounded by so many beautiful instruments and bows and with time and space to really try things. Sean has been a tremendous help in finding wonderful bows and instruments for me and my students over the years.

Not only is Sean just delightful to work with, his depth of experience as a player means the instruments and bows he has curated are invariably of great quality. I am extremely happy with the Jean Pascal Nehr viola bow I got from him.

I had a wonderful time trying Sean’s impressive violin and bow collection while in London.   He was incredibly helpful and generous with his time.  As a result, I have found exactly the bow I’ve been craving – a lovely Victor Fetique.   Thank you Sean, I’ll be recommending you to everyone I know!

Thanks for the viola…it’s sounding amazing!

“I have known Sean for nearly 20 years and have both sold and bought fine instruments through him. His guidance has helped me find a fine Italian violin and a wonderful French bow that have become a vital part of what I produce as a musician. Thank you Sean!”