www.2ndchancefiddles.com

Welcome
The 2nd Chance Fiddle Shop offers you a chance to have the best fiddle you will ever get because you already own it. It just needs 2nd Chance Fiddles
to rebuild it,
and,
you get a no-risk offer.
Alvin Fry was tired of New York’s hectic pace and returned to St. Louis to retire. After a few months, Alvin was not so sure retirement is for him. The company "2nd Chance Fiddles" is his way of keeping busy and giving something back to the music world that has given him such an extraordinary career. That career includes working with The Emerson String Quartet, the Juilliard School, Jay Unger, Barbra Streisand, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Doc Watson, Vassar Clemmens, and Maggie and Mark O’Connor, to name a few.
Why have your fiddle rebuilt?

Many violinists can pay $20,000, $50,000, or even $1,000,000+ for a violin or fiddle. I’m happy for those people.
Many more people will never be able to pay that kind of money for a fiddle, but they still know there are better fiddles out there than the one they are playing.
Alvin Fry at 2nd Chance Fiddles is offering an option for the fiddler with a limited budget who wants a better instrument.
Alvin Fry spent the last 40 years and $500,000 researching, designing, building, disassembling, and rebuilding instruments for the sole purpose of fully understanding the way one pound of wood can create such sounds as the great Italian Master's instruments create.
Alvin Fry is launching a new company called 2nd Chance Fiddles. For a nominal fee, Alvin Fry will totally disassemble your fiddle and rebuild it properly so that the instrument resonates in such a way that it creates an extraordinarily great sound.
Alvin Fry found this need while doing historical instrument restorations for a prominent musical institution.
After the first year of doing restorations and repairs for this institution, the curator asked Alvin Fry to see what he could do with 10 junk instruments that were useless to anyone. Would Alvin Fry be able to make usable instruments out of them? Alvin Fry took each instrument, stripped the varnish off, took the instrument fully apart, assessed the changes needed, and rebuilt each one, making the changes Alvin Fry thought would be necessary.
Each instrument was given a new varnish and set up. Amazingly, each became a superior violin. This shocked the curator, who said, “The more amazing thing is the efficiency with which you did this. You are a disciplined craftsperson.”
You deserve the best
and I will give the best to you.
Why you deserve the best
Alvin Fry's Violins
The magic
This process may seem too simple to the trained luthier. However, do not let your scorn of my humble approach keep you form finding the greatness in this book.
Fingerboard removal
The fingerboard is removed by heating with whatever method you choose. I use a clothes iron.
Soundboard removal
The soundboard, top-plate is removed by inserting a thin heated knife into the edge of ribs directly under the top-plate or backplate.
Using caliper to measure tune top-plate thickness.
The top-plate and back-plate are "tuned" by determining the thickness in porportion to the density of the wood in the top-plate or back-plate. This is a further refined by tapping various areas of the top-plate using light taps.
Bass-bar placement
The bass-bar is a seperate, most of the time, piece of wood usually from the same board as the top-plate. It is positioned canting across the inside of the top-plate at various angles depending on the uniqueness of each instrument. It is crucial to find the right angle, size and length for each individual instrument. It may take 3 or 4 changes before the right position and size is found.
Setting neck angle..
When re-gluing the top-plate to the ribs the correct angle is another crucial aspect. A neck angle tool is used to determine the correct angle. This is imporant for the playability of the instrument.
Regluing top-plate.
When re-gluing the top-plate to the ribs the Spool clamps are used.
Glue
When gluing any part of a musical instrument it is important to use hot hide glue for all aspect of instrument construction and repair.
Testing the results.
Instruments will need a few days to fully evaluate the sound to determine the accuracy of the changes. The sound will settle in over the next year, but the proper components of the sound will be apparent immediately. Then check is the tone balance, clear, and powerful with amazingly easy playability?
Introductory Offer

Alvin Fry at 2nd Chance Fiddles wants to ensure that you are satisfied with the instrument your fiddle becomes. As a solution, he proposes to loan you the choice of four instruments he has rebuilt for the time it takes to rebuild your instrument.
Once your instrument is completed, you will have the option of choosing which instrument you prefer.

The details.

The first 10 fiddle rebuilds will be $500. that is 2/3rds off the $1500 cost.
Choose the instrument you want to have 2nd Chance Fiddles to rebuild. Preferably the one you like the least in your collection. (Alvin Fry believes you will quickly find that it will become your best instrument).
Alvin Fry will present four fiddles he has already rebuilt. You will choose the one you like best. This instrument will be loaned to you for the time it takes to rebuild your instrument.
After Alvin rebuilds your fiddle, you will choose which instrument you want.
Please note that this offer is intended to improve substandard instruments. Any person with a violin valued at over $2000 should consider that the changes could affect the instrument's value because it is not in its original condition.

Please Contact
Alvin Fry at
alfrytheviolinguy@gmail.com

for the best fiddle you will ever own.
Testimonials

Quotes from prominant musicians about Alvin Fry's violins.
Jonathan Yudkin, Nashville session fiddler HOME | Jonathan Yudkin
When I gave you this instrument to rebuild for me I did not believe it could ever be anything but a campfire fiddle I would use when playing outdoors. I find it hard to believe this is the same violin I gave you 6 weeks ago. It is absolutely amazing.

Phil Setzer, The Emerson String Quartet Founder
'Your violins (Alvin Fry's) always have Stradivarius quality sound.
Dr. Casandra Suggs
"The 2nd Chance fiddles shop rebuilt and sound adjusted a wall hanger violin for me and made it an
"incredible instrument"

Welcome

The 2nd Chance Fiddle Shop offers you a chance to have the best fiddle you will ever get because you already own it. It just needs 2nd Chance Fiddles

to rebuild it,

and,

you get a no-risk offer.

Why have your fiddle rebuilt?

Many violinists can pay $20,000, $50,000, or even $1,000,000+ for a violin or fiddle. I’m happy for those people.

Many more people will never be able to pay that kind of money for a fiddle, but they still know there are better fiddles out there than the one they are playing.

Alvin Fry at 2nd Chance Fiddles is offering an option for the fiddler with a limited budget who wants a better instrument.

Alvin Fry spent the last 40 years and $500,000 researching, designing, building, disassembling, and rebuilding instruments for the sole purpose of fully understanding the way one pound of wood can create such sounds as the great Italian Master's instruments create.

Alvin Fry is launching a new company called 2nd Chance Fiddles. For a nominal fee, Alvin Fry will totally disassemble your fiddle and rebuild it properly so that the instrument resonates in such a way that it creates an extraordinarily great sound.

Alvin Fry found this need while doing historical instrument restorations for a prominent musical institution.

Each instrument was given a new varnish and set up. Amazingly, each became a superior violin. This shocked the curator, who said, “The more amazing thing is the efficiency with which you did this. You are a disciplined craftsperson.”

You deserve the best

and I will give the best to you.

The magic

This process may seem too simple to the trained luthier. However, do not let your scorn of my humble approach keep you form finding the greatness in this book.

Fingerboard removal

Soundboard removal

Using caliper to measure tune top-plate thickness.

Bass-bar placement

Setting neck angle..

Regluing top-plate.

Glue

Testing the results.

Introductory Offer

Alvin Fry at 2nd Chance Fiddles wants to ensure that you are satisfied with the instrument your fiddle becomes. As a solution, he proposes to loan you the choice of four instruments he has rebuilt for the time it takes to rebuild your instrument.

Once your instrument is completed, you will have the option of choosing which instrument you prefer.

The details.

Please Contact

Alvin Fry at

alfrytheviolinguy@gmail.com

for the best fiddle you will ever own.

Testimonials

Quotes from prominant musicians about Alvin Fry's violins.

Jonathan Yudkin, Nashville session fiddler HOME | Jonathan Yudkin

Phil Setzer, The Emerson String Quartet Founder

Dr. Casandra Suggs

"incredible instrument"