Where old-world craft
meets the modern stage.
Grand tone,
fine craft —
made for
every stage
Handpicked instruments — Carnatic to Western.
Set up by luthiers, built to last.
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Browse the full libraryOn the atelier
Every instrument is set up in our workshop before it leaves.
R. Krishnan Naidu
Head luthier · Est. 1978
An instrument you order from us is set up — not shipped. When a veena arrives from Tanjore or a piano crates in from Hamburg, our luthiers spend, on average, four hours with it. Bridges are fit. Sound posts are placed. Pegs are re-cut when the humidity has moved them. String heights are shaved down a fraction of a millimeter at a time.
None of this appears on an invoice. It is the difference between a good instrument and a good instrument that plays. We do not know how to sell one without doing the other.
You may also bring an instrument you already own into the shop for the same service. We call it set-up because it is what the instrument has been waiting for.
On the bench
Since we opened in Mylapore, 1978.
Per set-up
Every new instrument passes through our workshop.
Concert placements
Into orchestras, halls, private hands.
Trial period
Return any instrument within twelve months.
In the hands of
Musicians who came for one instrument
and left a letter.
“I have been a concertmaster for twenty years. This is the first time a shop gave me an afternoon of quiet with the instrument before asking for a decision.”
Elena Rosza
Concertmaster · Berlin Phil.
“The piano arrived at 10 in the morning. By 4 in the afternoon a technician had tuned it to the humidity of my room. I did not ask for that.”
Víkingur Ólafsson
Pianist · Iceland
“My son's first serious veena. Krishnan sat him down for an hour and taught him to hold it. Not a sales pitch — a lesson. Customers for life.”
M. & Mme. Iyer
Parents · Chennai
“Ordered a mridangam from Mylapore, delivered to Bangalore in three days, already tuned to the room I recorded in. Uncommon service.”
Anoushka Menon
Percussionist · Bengaluru
“They handed me four bows and told me to walk to the back of the shop and play. That is a shop that trusts its customers to know what they want.”
Daniel Hope
Violinist · London
“The tanpura they built for the ashram has been played every dawn for eleven years. Two annual tunings. Nothing else needed replacing.”
Swami R. Bhaskar
Ashram · Rishikesh
“I have been a concertmaster for twenty years. This is the first time a shop gave me an afternoon of quiet with the instrument before asking for a decision.”
Elena Rosza
Concertmaster · Berlin Phil.
“The piano arrived at 10 in the morning. By 4 in the afternoon a technician had tuned it to the humidity of my room. I did not ask for that.”
Víkingur Ólafsson
Pianist · Iceland
“My son's first serious veena. Krishnan sat him down for an hour and taught him to hold it. Not a sales pitch — a lesson. Customers for life.”
M. & Mme. Iyer
Parents · Chennai
“Ordered a mridangam from Mylapore, delivered to Bangalore in three days, already tuned to the room I recorded in. Uncommon service.”
Anoushka Menon
Percussionist · Bengaluru
“They handed me four bows and told me to walk to the back of the shop and play. That is a shop that trusts its customers to know what they want.”
Daniel Hope
Violinist · London
“The tanpura they built for the ashram has been played every dawn for eleven years. Two annual tunings. Nothing else needed replacing.”
Swami R. Bhaskar
Ashram · Rishikesh
“I have been a concertmaster for twenty years. This is the first time a shop gave me an afternoon of quiet with the instrument before asking for a decision.”
Elena Rosza
Concertmaster · Berlin Phil.
“The piano arrived at 10 in the morning. By 4 in the afternoon a technician had tuned it to the humidity of my room. I did not ask for that.”
Víkingur Ólafsson
Pianist · Iceland
“My son's first serious veena. Krishnan sat him down for an hour and taught him to hold it. Not a sales pitch — a lesson. Customers for life.”
M. & Mme. Iyer
Parents · Chennai
“Ordered a mridangam from Mylapore, delivered to Bangalore in three days, already tuned to the room I recorded in. Uncommon service.”
Anoushka Menon
Percussionist · Bengaluru
“They handed me four bows and told me to walk to the back of the shop and play. That is a shop that trusts its customers to know what they want.”
Daniel Hope
Violinist · London
“The tanpura they built for the ashram has been played every dawn for eleven years. Two annual tunings. Nothing else needed replacing.”
Swami R. Bhaskar
Ashram · Rishikesh
“I have been a concertmaster for twenty years. This is the first time a shop gave me an afternoon of quiet with the instrument before asking for a decision.”
Elena Rosza
Concertmaster · Berlin Phil.
“The piano arrived at 10 in the morning. By 4 in the afternoon a technician had tuned it to the humidity of my room. I did not ask for that.”
Víkingur Ólafsson
Pianist · Iceland
“My son's first serious veena. Krishnan sat him down for an hour and taught him to hold it. Not a sales pitch — a lesson. Customers for life.”
M. & Mme. Iyer
Parents · Chennai
“Ordered a mridangam from Mylapore, delivered to Bangalore in three days, already tuned to the room I recorded in. Uncommon service.”
Anoushka Menon
Percussionist · Bengaluru
“They handed me four bows and told me to walk to the back of the shop and play. That is a shop that trusts its customers to know what they want.”
Daniel Hope
Violinist · London
“The tanpura they built for the ashram has been played every dawn for eleven years. Two annual tunings. Nothing else needed replacing.”
Swami R. Bhaskar
Ashram · Rishikesh
Talk to us
Make an enquiry.
Looking for a specific instrument, a price, a repair estimate or a bulk order? Send us a note and our team will get back to you — or continue the conversation straight away on WhatsApp.
Prefer to chat?
We're on WhatsApp.
Message us directly and we'll help you pick, price or repair the right instrument.
Chat on WhatsAppChennai · Vadapalani
70/1, 100 Feet Road, Chennai 600026
+91 99406 38409
Chennai · Porur
12, Trunk Road, Jaya Nagar, Chennai 600116
+91 72001 78753
Chennai · Ashok Nagar
68A, 100 Feet Road, Chennai 600083
+91 99406 38409
sshw1964@yahoo.co.in
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Fin
Come play something.
Both shops are open by walk-in or appointment. Bring an instrument you already own, or come meet ours. A pot of coffee is always on. There is no obligation to buy anything, only to listen.
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Chennai · Vadapalani
70/1, 100 Feet Road, Vadapalani