UPDATED REVIEW Daniel called and apologized and explained why he wasn't around. I appreciate that, but still wish he put some sort of notification in his voicemail or on his business door. ---OLD REVIEW--- I dislike giving poor reviews, but I had a terrible experience with Daniel Olson. It's hard for me to believe that the previous reviews are true given my recent experience. This review isn't about Daniel's craftsmanship or expertise, but about how his business is run. Long story short, Daniel had extremely poor communication. Long version: I called two Wednesdays ago during his given business hours. He didn't pick up the phone, so I left a message. I didn't hear from him, so once again, tried calling on Friday. No one picked up and I didn't leave a message this time. Saturday comes and I finally get a call back from Dan, where we talked about me showing up on Wednesday to his business. He said to call when I'm on my way and confirmed his business hours. Last Wednesday, I drove all the way to his store, which is like a 30 min drive for me. I called him before I started the drive and left a message that I was on my way. Then when I arrived, the door to his shop was locked. I called his number and no one picked up, so I left a message that I was at his store. I tried calling his other business (speaker business) and no response there either. Its been another week and I have not heard back. Given this poor experience, I can't recommend Dan Olson. To me, his communication skills leaves a poor first impression and makes me feel like I can't trust him. read more

He is a lovely man; he took the time to find the right violin for my daughter. The violin is beautiful; it's art.

I've had the pleasure of dealing with Daniel Olson's shop for many years. Olson offers an amazing assortment of violins, violin bows, cello bows for sale. Mr. Olson makes some of the most beautiful cello bows I've ever seen, and when we bring in violin bows for repair, he takes care to do world-class work, ensuring that every aspect of the bow is restored to highest quality. If someone hadn't referred me to Mr. Olson's shop, I wouldn't have noticed it, since the street presence of this establishment essentially consists of a rather nondescript door situated just to the right of Rose Street Guitars. While Daniel Olson's shop itself consists of a few modest rooms completely filled with instruments being constructed and repaired, it is well worth taking the time and trouble to stop by for a visit and to find out what's for sale in this shop, since the prices are fair and the instruments are of excellent quality. At a time when so many people seek quality workmanship at reasonable prices, I highly recommend Daniel Olson to everyone in need of help with violin and cello bow repair or brand new instruments, which Mr. Olson makes as well. Very highly recommended! read more

I accidentally dislodged the sound post in my violin while trying to put in a new E string, and Daniel put it back in with some thoughtful improvements. He sculpted the bridge to be lower, enhanced the grooves on the edge of the fingerboard, and put the new strings back in good shape. He also gave me some pointers about how to adjust the bridge and a reminder to loosen the violin bow more loosely than I was giving it. Was clear from speaking with him that he had a lot of experience with the craft. And I'm pretty happy with the re-crafted bridge -- makes my violin easier to play, and I'm looking forward to recording more songs with it tomorrow. read more

Dan was able to replace the bridge and strings, with the incredible result of a lovely sounding cello. As a pre-beginner (that is,the day I purchased by cello was truly the first time I every touched a cello), I purchased a poorly made cello (made in China). As constructed, the cello's fingerboard was so misaligned that it interfered with the A string (plus the C string kept slipping off) - I even tried shifting the bridge to avoid this - but of course, the tone was terrible. And now - as a beginner, I'm so delighted with my cello (even with its uniquely tall bridge) and making progress, thanks to my wonderful teacher - Mrs. Scharpenski (who is also impressed with Dan's work). So - I very highly recommend Dan Olsen - who in my mind is "Dan-Dan the Cello Man"! read more

Daniel did miracle work on my old and barely playable backup French violin bow that had little hair, a broken sole plate at the tip, and mismatched broken ugly nickel mounted frog and button. When he was done, he had mounted a beautiful used frog and period correct silver mounted button with enormous attention to fit, finish, and detail. At the tip, he carved a most delicate and precise synthetic sole plate that resembles the old ivory one, but spared elephant's tooth. He decided to renew the leather grip with exquisite leather and flawless workmanship at no extra cost, because we hadn't discussed it at the time! The old grip was a little worn. The original wrapping was silver under the years of tarnish, unlike the frog it came to me with. I have seen and played many fine bows, but none with better or more meticulous craftsmanship than Daniel used in restoring this bow. Then, I showed him what another shop had done - a quick and dirty rehair on my good bow that turned out sloppy and loose. The hair had unequal tension in the middle, even after I took it back and had them try to correct the issue. Daniel said: "I can fix that for you while you wait.'' - He fixed it into a perfect ribbon, all in 2 minutes, and didn't charge for that, either, but now it plays wonderfully again, as does my spare! Daniel also lent me a technically great contemporary South American made pernambuco bow while mine was being fixed, because I had a gig to play next day. Loaner was crisp and responsive like a Sartory, at a tenth the price. If you want uncompromising quality at a reasonable price, this is the place. read more

I went to Daniel Olson's shop to check out his selection of violin bows and was completely pleased with the experience from start to finish. For one, I left with a bow that I love. But before that, I was given time and space, with zero pressure, to try the different bows over and over until I could narrow my choices and settle on one. In the process, Daniel explained a tremendous amount about how bows are crafted, what makes a bow special (beyond personal preference), and how he systematically evaluates each bow according to several different criteria before purchasing it for resale. He's clearly a whiz in the strings shop, and seemingly without any pretension about it. This was a refreshing experience. I should mention that he put up with me scratching out tune after tune as I tried all of those bows, and when my E-string snapped on the tuner I'd just installed, he not only replaced the string; he also installed a specialized little piece that will keep the tuner from killing other E-strings in the same way. It was just great service. Highly recommended. read more