About Us

Haga click aqui para información en Español.

Gailes’ Violin Shop, located in College Park, Maryland, specializes in quality instruments, bows, repairs and restorations. We also carry a large selection of music and accessories.

Bill Gailes was majoring in music performance at the University of Maryland in 1974 while working as a free-lance musician and studying violin making with a local craftsman. After completing his first violin, Op. 1 No. 1, in 1975, Bill decided to concentrate on making and repairing bowed stringed instruments. He continues to study restoration technique at summer sessions with Hans J. Nebel (almost every year for over 30 years). He has studied with Arnold Bone on bow rehair and repair, and with Samuel Kolstein (yes, once upon a time we did bass repairs), and even a short course with the great Dario D’Attili in 1975. Today Bill’s time is divided between repairing client and shop-owned instruments, sampling and testing new and old instruments and bows for possible additions to our inventory, and repairing varnish on our old and antique instruments.

David McDermott has been working with Gailes’ Violin Shop since 1985 when he graduated from the Chicago School of Violin Making. In addition to fine repairs and restorations, he is a gifted maker of violins, violas and cellos. His instruments are available at Gailes’ Violin Shop and pictures are available on the violin page.

Tom Carroll has worked with Gailes’ Violin Shop since 1976. Tom studied with Geary Baese and now does all of the varnish work on our ‘white’ instruments. He also studied with Hans Jurgen Nebel and does some repair work at the shop. In addition, Tom has his own business, buying instruments in the white, varnishing them, and selling them at shops throughout the country from Maine to Georgia to California and Washington, and including Gailes’ Violin Shop.

Mark Mihlbauer has been responsible for all of our bow repairs, restorations and rehairing since 1980. He studied at the University of New Hampshire Violin Craftsmanship Institute. He particularly enjoys the challenge of restoring antique bows.

Susan Huemrich joined the Gailes’ Violin Shop staff in 2003. She studied business at Robert Morris University and now manages our business office. In addition, she assists clients with instrument rentals and purchases and maintains the music inventory.

Lisa Wilcut has been with Gailes’ Violin Shop since 2006. She is apprenticing with the shop to learn repairs and restoration. In addition to her skills as a cellist, her contributions include rental instrument repairs and assisting clients.

MiChu Kwoun has played the violin for more than 20 years, which gives her a great advantage when helping clients with the purchase of instruments and bows. When she is not at GVS, she teaches private lessons, plays piano, guitar and bass at her church, and is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling.

Allison Monroe also helps on Saturdays. She attends the University of Maryland as a music major.

Julia Snyder has been working at Gailes’ Violin Shop since 2004. During her breaks from St. Mary’s College, she assists clients in the shop and helps maintain the rental fleet. She studied violin performance at Catholic University.

Betsy Pohlhaus, who has been with the shop since 2003, is a fine violinist who helps us on Saturdays. She assists clients, assists in the office, and does some rental instrument repairs. She attended the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Annie Otte grew up in Idaho and graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah with a Bachlor of Arts in Music.  She has been playing the violin for 13 years, studying classical music and some fiddling on the side.  Annie teaches violin, and when she is not working she loves to be outdoors and hiking with her husband.

Betty Gailes has worked at Gailes’ Violin Shop off and on since 1999 when she and Bill got married. Currently she works mostly from home maintaining the website and handling all aspects of advertising. When she’s not working for GVS, she teaches music full-time in an elementary school.