My wife has just called me upon her return from my local music shop, having called to collect my cello bow which has been re-haired and the bone (plastic?) tip moulding repaired.

She was charged £86.25!!!!!!!!!

As I was quoted £35/40 for the re-hair, I'm a tad upset!

I'm currently waiting for the shop to call me back for an explanation. Surely the tip didn't cost £50?

Well, i don't know what a new tip costs, and the cost of replacing it is, but all i know is that luthers are not cheap, a specialized job! I suppose, to some extent, it is also relative, if the bow is very expensive, then maybe it is worth it??? Have you asked around for a quote?? Also i do know that the "bone" tips can break if you are not careful.

I have to agree with Debra here. It's always wise to get a full quote (in advance) for the work and strictly speaking, the shop should have advised you about the bone tip requiring repair/replacement before they carried out this work.

However, if the bone tip did require replacement then this is not quite as simple as you might think. The replacement has to be cut, shaped and finished to precisely fit the bow head. A specialised job!

They certainly should have told you before proceeding (unless perhaps the fault was invisible until they removed the hair?), but yes the price is entirely what I would expect.

Liz

I understand the tips on some bows are made from mammoth bone, yes really, that was what I was told about my violin bow. I was quoted £30 for rehairing, so looks like the tip may be the expensive part of the bill. I imagine a new bow of s similar quality would have cost much much more.

I am afraid instruments cost a lot to service and repair. This price sounds about right to me.

Thanks for all your replies and, yes, I guess I should've clarified the cost beforehand.

I have now spoken to the shop and they explained (as above) that the tip would not have been a simple job of sticking on a pre-formed piece.

I shall be more careful in future....with the bow AND to get full quotes!!!

Yes, when you get an estimate, make sure they also write on the repair tag if any other problems are found phone this number and ask for permission to proceed with repairs.

I am not sure how they stand legally for doing this, though, as it would be even more labour for them to take if off again should you demand they did so. Certainly there is a specific law about this sort of thing in restaurants that if they bring you any food or drink you didn't ask for they cannot charge you for it, so it's probably not allowed. Sadly it would cost more to fight your corner than you'd ever see again, you'd be without your bow during the dispute and the job would still need doing. Ah, consumer rights.

If you were given a "quotation" then it is legally binding and the shop cannot charge you more. I suspect what you were given was an estimate.

It is bad form on their part, and a poor advertisement for the business, to go ahead with an additional repair, without checking with you first that you want it done. It is also un-professional. They should have checked the state of the bow when they first saw it and realized that more than re-hairing was necessary.

Mind you i am not sure as to the advantages of having a bone tip, my bow has a silver end, hopefully will not break. When i bought my bow i did not really know anythink about the bone ones then!

Slightly OT but I have honestly never, ever had any of my bows rehaired - should I? I left all that stuff to my teacher who also repaired and sold instruments, and now I am realising I have a gaping hole in my knowledge that I have to fill if I am to teach. In fact I find it rather strange that the teaching dip doesn't include a section on very basic instrument maintenance, not necessarily fixing problems but at least identifying them. Wind players should be able to look over a flute/clarinet, etc. for pad problems and string players ought to demonstrate they can put a bridge on a student instrument and that sort of thing.