We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Cundall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Don’t be afraid, only trust God, only believe.” When business is not doing as well as I think it should, I wonder if there is something that I can do to to encourage more business, or something I should not do that is hindering business and my life. For 46 years now, I have been learning to trust God, to put everything in His hands. And for 46 years, He has been faithful to provide, to help and to bless my business and my life. It is not easy to trust someone or something that is invisible and incomprehensible, as God is. And many times, I am afraid of the future, of making mistakes, of being criticized, of being hurt. But I can honestly say that for 46 years, even longer, that everything that has happened in my business and my life, God has had tailored it all to clothe me in trust of Him. It has been both an exciting and frustrating ride.

What should our readers know about your business?
In 1974, I began working on violins when I was 15 years old. My sister’s husband at the time had a minature violin his grandfather had made. The instrument was in pieces, so I began restoring it for him. I then began making minature violins myself, inlaid with ivory, ebony, abalone and fully working pegs, bridge, strings and accessories. These instruments were about 6″ long, fitting in one’s palm of the hand.

When I was 18, I was accepted as an apprentice with the firm Bein & Fushi Rare Violins, in Chicago. I moved to Chicago and worked there, both for Bein & Fushi and for other companies: William Harris Lee, Dan Draley Fine violins, The Guarneri House. I did restoration of antique instruments and made a few violins on the side. My instructor at B&F was William Webster. He had worked in New York learning restoration at Rembert Wurlitzer, a firm much like B&F, that specialized in valuable antique instruments.

It was not easy working at B&F. We were paid on a piecework basis, not hourly, so if our work was not satisfactory, we had to redo it on our own time. You had to learn to work fast and to work accurately if you wanted to progress. Many people quit or were fired because they could not do the job to the satisfaction of the firm. It was not a pleasant atmosphere to work in… very high pressure and long hours. I worked 7 days a week, sometimes 18 hours a day. I was young, single, and had nothing else to do. So I learned to restore instruments.

After 7 years in Chicago, I moved back to Texas to join my father in partnership, re-starting the Luthier Shop. I had already established the name for the shop in the mid-70’s before moving to Chicago. I provided the workshop and repair of the business and my father worked as salesperson and administrator. We worked together for 27 years until he began to show signs of dementia and my mother’s health was failing.

Being in business for myself, I have had to learn to help people, solve their problems and needs with their instruments and seek to be an encouragement to all my clients. I also had to learn to listen, be humble and anticipate the needs of others. Working for a boss is one thing, but working for individual clients is totally different. Each person is unique, with individual expectations, and not always is it easy to grasp what they need. I have made many errors, continuing to learn to decipher the needs of others. This is an ongoing process and I have received much help from God along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start locally with Isle Du Bois State park. There is hiking there and swimming. Probably would go to the Hill country, Kerrville, San Antonio, Boerne. Might take them to the Ouichita Mountains in Oklahoma to Robbers Cave State Park. Only a 3 hour drive. And would take them to Jefferson, Texas. It is a nice little town in East Texas with lots of antique shops and close to Caddo Lake.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I guess there really is no one else to attribute any success I have other than God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would probably be dead.

Website: https://luthiershop.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/theluthiershop

Image Credits
Steven T Cundall

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