Sol Vista Violins fosters new fans of classic instruments

LAFAYETTE — Though James Connell’s main instrument is a guitar, he doesn’t have the same relationship with it as he does with his unlabeled 18th century violin.

Connell, luthier and owner of Sol Vista Violins in Lafayette, wants to help other violinists and orchestra instrumentalists to find and maintain similar relationships.

“It’s a lifelong journey for some people — they have their violin for life,” Connell said. “I enjoy playing the guitar, but I’m not fascinated by the makeup of the guitar, the construction of it.”

Connell, who also runs the instrument rental business Northland Violin, sees his nylon-string guitar as a tool for playing classical guitar, while his violin is a “personal friend.” In other words, he’s not in love with his guitar but most definitely is with his violin, a leftover legacy he’s owned for about six years that came from the estate of a late instrument collector from San Diego. He also plays other orchestral instruments such as viola, cello and bass, giving him even more familiarity with what he sells.

“A violin becomes so much a part of you as a person like no other instrument in the world,” Connell said. “It mimics the human voice. It’s very magical.”

Connell wants others to experience that magic by finding the right instrument to play, even for life, he said. With that goal in mind, he founded Sol Vista Violins in 2008, but even before then, his work revolved around the instrument.

A luthier for 36 years, Connell initially studied composition at Arizona State University, finishing all but his senior year. Every day for six months, he walked by the former String Shop of Arizona and asked for a job on a weekly basis, until the day before his 22nd birthday on Aug. 12, 1989 when the owner said he was sick of him coming in and insisted he start work the next day. So he did. 

“As soon as I got the job, I dropped out of school,” Connell said. “I had no interest in what I was doing at school. All my interest was in this.”

Connell worked as an apprentice at the String Shop, owned by Terry McShane, for six years, and then relocated to Seattle, Wash., to serve as head of the string department at Kennelly Keys Music for four years. He moved to Boulder to work with bow maker Eric Paulu of Paulu Violin Bows for less than a year, returned to Seattle and shortly thereafter moved back to Colorado, eventually settling in Lafayette.

Going out on his own, Connell started Sol Vista in the basement of his home, operating it there for eight years before opening his current location in 2016, where he sells a full line of orchestral instruments and does restoration work. He also worked as an apprentice restorer for Von’s Violin Shop from 2000 to 2002, which he purchased in 2022.

Connell and his team of six luthiers, including his wife, Joy, restore violins, cellos, violas and upright basses. They fix damage to the instrument’s neck and body, remove cracks, refit the instrument with new parts, graft in new wood, add new varnish and do sound post work, which involves repairing the peg inside the instrument that helps sound travel.

Over the years, Connell’s luthier team has repaired thousands of instruments, anything from student to professional.

“My favorite is taking 19th century (and) 18th century instruments and bringing them back to life where they’re fully functioning instruments again,” Connell said. 

Connell provides instrumental demonstrations and shows hundreds of violins in his world-class showroom, including imports of violins from award-winning international builder Andrea Ferrari of North Italy, who also does commissions for the store. Connell sells other orchestral instruments, 40 different kinds of strings and an assortment of electric violins, plus designs electronics for Glasser NY, a company that manufactures and sells electric violins and orchestral instruments. 

“I love having people come in and find the right fit for their future,” Connell said. “Finding a violin is a very intense experience. Sometimes it’s an instrument for life.”

Kevin Halbrooks, a luthier at Sol Vista and co-owner of Northland Violins, considers Sol Vista to be much more than a violin shop as “a beloved staple of the string community,” he said.

“The services and expertise span beyond just the Denver metro,” Halbrooks said. “Sol Vista supports professional musicians, music educators and families across the nation. … The dedication and loyalty of our customers is the foundation of our success, and we are eternally grateful. Word of mouth continues to be our strongest source of referrals, and we hope all of our customers will continue to share their experience at Sol Vista with everyone they know.”

Connell’s shop also brings in customers who like history, since it’s in a former bank building from 1880 that also has also been a restaurant and gift shop.

“The history of the building is similar to the history of the violin. Everything feels like it has a story, and this building definitely has a story,” Connell said. “I love this building — it has its original tin roof and original floors and a big vault.”

Northland Violins started in 2012 as a way to teach that violin story to students of all ages through the rental of orchestral instruments. The company works with more than 60 schools in eight school districts and another 50 private teachers

“The level of quality most kids are given is so poor, it doesn’t give them much of a chance to become musicians, orchestral musicians,” Connell said.

Connell offers high-quality rentals, as well as a high level of customer service that includes a plan for students and their families. Unlike a traditional music store, Northland Violins offers a rental program that’s rent-to-own with rental fees covering the instrument, as well as the bow, case and accessories. The rental program is 18 months with all payments going toward final purchase, allowing students to pay off the rest of the instrument’s cost for full ownership. 

“We don’t overinflate prices on instruments. They are at market value and internet competitive,” Connell said. “We sell them for what we rent them for, not at an inflated rental rate.”

Currently, 1,600 students — ranging in age from three years old to 70 — are renting instruments from Northland Violins.

To reach even more students, Connell and his team of luthiers travel statewide to visit schools and meet with teachers, providing clinics and doing repairs on site. The clinics cover subjects like instrument care, the jobs of luthiers and the tools of the trade. 

Connell would like to see more interest in orchestral instruments, though after-school musical programs are gaining popularity, in part from a rise in interest in mariachi.

 “We’re losing the younger population as people pass on,” Connell said. “The classical world is shrinking immensely.”

Classical music is intense and “hip,” and it’s universal, something Sol Vista promotes, Connell said. 

“We’re the fastest growing violin shop in the state because we’re very ubiquitous; we’re everywhere,” Connell said.

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