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The following information about this luthier was submitted on 2/2/2005 via 128.107.253.39 by Clare Chu. It has not been verified by Violinist.com, which takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Stevens Violin Shop1202 Lincoln AveSan Jose, California
Phone: (408) 275-0717 Opinions expressed below are those of their authors alone. From Terez Mertes
I would like to note that the "bad service" described by Bo Xun in Dec 2006 couldn't have been further from my own experience. His criticism seems to be emotion-laden and subjective in nature. I sympathize with Bo Xun (and others who commented negatively here) for not having a positive experience, but feel these comments do not reflect the solid reputation this family-owned shop has enjoyed for the many years they have been in business. Posted via 75.31.96.27 on June 21, 2008 at 10:31 AM (MST)
From Terez Mertes
Excellent inventory, very personalized service, but the shop is, as noted by others, appointment-only. I was very pleased with the bows they had for me to try out. Quality is very high, but so are the prices. Some of their inventory can be negotiated, as was the case with the bow I ultimately chose. Vance, the owner, took an hour of his time (over the phone, without an appointment) to discuss the bow in question, which I greatly appreciated. He is extremely knowledgeable and yet never tried to push me into a sale. (But a sizeable discount made the decision easy in the end.) Posted via 75.31.96.27 on June 21, 2008 at 10:21 AM (MST)
From Tim Yip
"Perhaps Vance should have thanked Tim for raping him on the price of the instrument at the end of the transaction."Posted via 71.106.208.66 on March 19, 2007 at 12:22 AM (MST) Raping? That's uncalled for.
From joe knudsen
As posted by Bo Xun on December 16, 2006Posted via 71.139.23.52 on March 7, 2007 at 11:34 AM (MST) “basicly this is the worst violin shop on the west coast. Here are 4 reasons for "why not shop at Stevens Violin Shop". Just thought I should clear up a few misconceptions that may be had by someone who reads these reviews. My recollection of the situation is as follows: Bo Xun came into our shop many times looking for violins in late 2006. He said he was looking for high caliber instruments and bows. Vance felt that the instruments and bows he was seeking were far beyond his musical abilities. However, Vance liked Bo, so against his better judgment he tried to accommodate his requests by calling Bo whenever something came through the shop that might be of interest to him. On many occasions, Bo failed to return our phone calls, and displayed a general lack of interest in coming in to look at instruments and bows of the caliber he had requested. Only upon hearing the names of famous makers' would he become motivated to call us back. The Viorin mentioned in the post is an excellent example, however, it is not the bow that he later became upset about. On side note, the asking price for the Viorin was more than fair, not that Bo is in any position to evaluate condition or price of this bow, or any other, for that matter. The bow he was coming to see on this particular occasion was made by Benoit Rolland, who is considered by many to be the greatest living bow maker. There is a waiting list for his bows, and they are very difficult to attain. This being a premium item, the price was firm, and Bo was aware of this before he even saw the bow. Why would someone attempt to negotiate a price on an item they know to be firm? When Vance reminded him the price was firm, his comments were met with giggles from young Xun. Then Vance suggested that Bo act a bit more mature. When he realized his negotiation attempts were futile, he had what only could be described as a temper tantrum, shouting profanity and crying as he stormed out of the showroom. Upon leaving, his mother(who was always pleasant to deal with) apologized for her son's inappropriate behavior. At this point I would like to suggest that the accusation of Vance being “EXXXXTRRRRREEEEEMMMMEEEEEEMELY rude”, is ludicrous as Bo was the only one raising his voice and using profane language. Vance felt Bo was quite delicate, so he selected his words carefully hoping to avoid tears with no avail. Does this sound rude to you? Obviously we are dealing with a child. As for us “backstabbing” Kamimoto Strings, this could not be further from the truth. Vance considers Hideo Kamimoto to be a good friend for many years as he and Hideo worked together in the past. Kamimoto Strings does not deal in the level of instruments that Bo was looking for(violins up to $100,000.00 and bows up to $30,000.00) to the best of my knowledge. As for him not wishing to do business with us “ever again”, we have yet to do any. Perhaps, a little growing up is in order. It is unfortunate that these things happened. When we first met Bo, we felt that he was in a little over his head, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. In my opinion, Vance put a lot of effort into sourcing special instruments for Bo and felt no appreciation for his efforts. “I purchased a violin from Vance two years ago. He was very disrespectful and rude when I tried to negotiate a better price. He gave a speech that lasted maybe twenty mintues. Anyways, I did get the violin for the price I wanted, but I don't think I'll buy from him again because his attitude was so unpleasant. I also had the ivory tip of my bow reshaped by him, which lasted about six months. I had to get it repaired again, but I went to Jon Li at Kamimoto's instead” To me it sounds like Tim Yip got the violin he wanted, at the price he wanted. Perhaps Vance should have thanked Tim for raping him on the price of the instrument at the end of the transaction. As for his comment on his bow tip, his teacher at the time, whose instruments we maintain exclusively, warned Vance that Tim was “quite rough on his equipment.” “I purchased a very nice cello from Vance with Stevens Violin Shop and a couple of months later, I dropped by to ask him questions about purchasing a different A string for cello. Concerning Chris Billawala, our shop is open by appointment. The gentleman who was here at the time had one, and Chris did not. Chris was politely asked if he could wait, or come another time. He insisted upon pushing his agenda, and Vance asked him to leave rather than allow him to interrupt his current appointment. Perhaps Chris does not understand the meaning of the word . This is no different than any other environment that requires an appointment such as a doctor or lawyers office. I feel Vance's reaction was completely justified. At the risk of sounding insensitive, I think that Chris should try not to be such a baby and grow a thicker skin. Although, I have to admit, my memory is a bit foggy on this particular instance, as the cello was purchased in the year 1999. What is that, like, seven years? This is first we have heard of it. For future reference, making an appointment would avoid this type of complication. To the above mentioned dissatisfied clients: We would be happy to invite you to our shop for any level of clarification, in person. Please be sure to make an appointment before doing so. We are saddened that you are not among the multitudes of beyond satisfied customers whom we do business with on a regular basis. Our shop has been open, and continuously doing business for fifty-six years. You do the math. Joe Knudsen
From Bo Xun
basicly this is the worst violin shop on the west coast. Here are 4 reasons for "why not shop at Stevens Violin Shop".Posted via 69.107.125.115 on December 16, 2006 at 8:22 PM (MST) 1. Bad service- The shop owner Vance is EXXXXTRRRRREEEEEMMMMEEEEEEMELY rude. Not normal rude, but extremely rude. He could not tolerate negotiations. You see, if he does not tolerate normal important business steps, then why should costumers tolerate his shop. He was rude to me and my mom. Look at other comments, you see, im not the only one whos complaining. 2. Small and Smelly Shop- His shop is very small, messy, and smelly. 3. Over priced products- His products are way over priced. He was asking around $15000 for an okay conditioned silver Vorin bow. 4. Back stabing- He was telling me how i should not go to shops like Kamimotos, because they are for kids. He also said he is the best bow expert in the entire California. Okay, who calls themself the best? You dont decide if you are the best, your costumers decide it. I would never ever do business with him again. Good Luck
From Tim Yip
I purchased a violin from Vance two years ago. He was very disrespectful and rude when I tried to negotiate a better price. He gave a speech that lasted maybe twenty mintues. Anyways, I did get the violin for the price I wanted, but I don't think I'll buy from him again because his attitude was so unpleasant. I also had the ivory tip of my bow reshaped by him, which lasted about six months. I had to get it repaired again, but I went to Jon Li at Kamimoto's instead. Posted via 71.160.122.92 on December 7, 2006 at 7:15 PM (MST)
From Chris Billawala
I purchased a very nice cello from Vance with Stevens Violin Shop and a couple of months later, I dropped by to ask him questions about purchasing a different A string for cello. Posted via 66.80.160.74 on November 27, 2006 at 6:34 PM (MST) He happened to be dealing with another customer at the time, however, when I inquired about different A strings he became extremely rude and asked me to leave the shop. I did so and never came back.
From Clare Chu
They have a nice selection of older collectable violins and bows. They have done soundpost and bridge for two of my violins and do a professional and accurate job. Best of all, they appreciate violins, whether expensive or not, and will take the same care on a $500 violin they did not sell. Posted via 128.107.253.39 on February 2, 2005 at 12:41 PM (MST)
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