“Brilliant craftsman, violin whisperer, sympathetic listener. Jamie is the only one who really understands my violin and he is the only person I trust to work on my beloved Peter Guarneri. Whether it is adjusting the sound or carving a new bridge, Jamie's expertise shines through in everything he does.”

Sarah Kwak, Concertmaster Oregon Symphony

“My work with Jamie is extensive. I remember trying a violin that he had restored out of disrepair and his work was so good that I actually bought the violin. He also helped do extensive crack repair on my Postacchini violin.”

Noah Geller, Concertmaster Seattle Symphony

“Jamie is an incredible craftsman, and wonderful to work with. I would entrust any repair, restoration, or setup job to him, and feel so fortunate to have him in the Northwest.”

Annie Staninec, IBMA award winning fiddle player

“In my years of being a performing fiddler and dealer in the violin trade, I have met few luthiers who equal Jamie Herrmann in expertise, experience and the undying drive to execute work with absolute perfection.”

Brandon Godman, Master Fiddler, with Laurie Lewis and The Right Hands

“I would not hesitate to send my colleagues and students to Jamie for work on their violins; he pays close attention to detail, really listens to what you're looking for, and has a great passion for repairing, restoring, and making instruments.”

Erin Furbee, Assistant Concertmaster
Oregon Symphony

Jamie Herrmann is a professional violinmaker and restorer. His primary focus is the making of fine violins and violas based on his first hand knowledge of historic Italian instruments. He has a passion for fine setup and adjustment work, and enjoys the detective work and the open, experimental spirit required to bring out the best in every instrument he makes or works on. Jamie was fortunate to receive his training through a full professional apprenticeship in violin making and restoration with award winning Philadelphia violin maker Christopher Germain. He then worked at Frederick W. Oster Fine Violins in Philadelphia as a restorer and later manager of the restoration workshop. This allowed him to come into regular contact with some of the best players around, as well as to study and work with excellent examples of early Italian violin makers’ work on a weekly basis. Additionally, Jamie had the wonderful opportunity to spend 4 years working with the talented Miracourt trained maker, restorer, and genius sound adjuster Pierre Moisy, whose passion and faith in the potentialities of tonal adjustment left an indelible impression on him. Jamie later collaborated with bow maker Jacob Mitas on Herrmann & Mitas Violins & Bows in Portland, Oregon, before moving to his current location in Salem, Oregon.

In meeting with Jamie you can expect the level of craftsmanship, professionalism, and attention to detail that you would expect to find in any of the best shops in the country but in a one on one, informal atmosphere where players feel they are heard. They are able to gain insight into what goes on behind the scenes in a violin workshop. Clients do not drop off their instruments to office staff at a front counter here. Instead, you will have the experience of sitting down and discussing your instrument with the individual craftsperson who you are trusting to work on it, as well as coming up with an agreed upon game-plan to fit your specific individual needs. Jamie takes the time to notice and notate all significant data needed about each instrument in order to optimize it’s potential, and performs micro-adjustment/experiments to test the sound potential and present limitations of an instrument before taking down the setup or beginning any type of work. Essentially, he will determine what the instrument is capable of and how to get there from here. It is often found that players' instruments are far from being optimized, both tonally and in terms of physical playability, and they are frequently surprised by how much more their instruments are capable of than they previously believed. In any instrument Jamie works with he is always striving for qualities such as greater clarity, quicker response, more richness/complexity, evenness, better projection and power, as well the sense of cushion and spring evident in great instruments that are in good adjustment. The small independent violinmaker's shop is the ideal environment for this conversation between maker, player, and instrument.

Jamie Herrmann has worked extensively with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, as well as faculty, students, and graduates of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Eastman School of Music. Clients include world-class soloist and Concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony Sarah Kwak, the esteemed violinist/pedagogue Charles Castleman (Charles Castleman Quartet Programs), the renowned violinist Aaron Rosand, the Dover Quartet (Joel Link, Bryan Lee, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Camden Shaw), violin soloist Ray Chen, Noah Geller (Concertmaster Seattle Symphony), cellist Eric Wilson (founding member of the Emerson String Quartet), violin soloist Benjamin Beilman, Nikki Chooi (Concertmaster of New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra during 2016/2017, current Concertmaster Buffalo Philharmonic), violin soloist Bella Hristova, Erin Furbee (Assistant Concertmaster OSO), Chien Tan (Principal Second Violin OSO), Joël Belgique (Principal Violist OSO), Ryan Lee (violin-OSO), Eileen Deiss (violin-OSO), Jazz Violinist Megumi Sasaki, violinist Lisa Lee (The Lee Trio), violist/pedagogue Lisa Zweben, violinist/pedagogue Jamie Chimchirian, Ignace “Iggy” Jang Concertmaster Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Britt Festivals Orchestra, violist David Yang, cellist Christie Chen, cellist Lynne Beiler, Philadelphia Orchestra players: C.J. Chang, Anna Marie Petersen, Renard Edwards, John Koen, Philip Kates, Davyd Booth, Paul Arnold, Yumi Kendall, Paul Roby, Jonathan Beiler, Judy Geist, Alex Veltman, and others.

In addition to the classical world, Jamie works with many fine musicians from various traditions, such as award-winning Bluegrass fiddler Annie Staninec, Country & Cajun legend Doug Kershaw, master Bluegrass and Swing fiddler Brandon Godman (with Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands), renowned Sligo fiddler James Carty, Irish fiddler Winifred Horan (of Solas), Bluegrass and Oldtime fiddler Sam Weiss (of the Caleb Klauder Country Band), Caleb Klauder, Oldtime fiddler Bruce Greene, Oldtime fiddle and banjo player Travis Stuart, and and many other great artists.

Hours by appointment.