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W W W . M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 M A R C H 9 , 2 0 2 0 F O C U S M A N U F A C T U R I N G With the nation's largest network of dentists, get the right partner in dental benefits to make sure healthy smiles are the face of your healthy business. NortheastDeltaDental.com LET SMILES DO THE TALKING FOR YOUR BUSINESS WITH SMILE POWER! woods like willow, maple and ebony. Slobodkin runs a full-service busi- ness, including making and repairing violins, violas and cellos, rentals, and product lines. A Michigan native, he has more than 40 years in the field, including internships and employ- ment at prestigious shops handling rare vintage violins. He builds on spec rather than commission and sells at his retail shop or through a dealer. His craft has less design flexibility; the instruments are based on models developed centuries ago. He was recently building a cello, which takes about 200 hours. e wood costs about $1,000; the cello will go for $30,000. "If I sell direct, I keep everything," he says. "If I go through a dealer, commissions are usually about 20%. For my 200 hours, I'm doing pretty well." Slobodkin speaks to the sculptural quality of the craft and the maker's ability to understand how shapes and materials work together to create excellent sounds. "You're paying for the interpreta- tion of the wood and what will make it sound right," Slobodkin says." It comes down to experience and, to some degree, gut feeling." Being in Bangor has its pros and cons. It's hard to get skilled help, and Slobodkin has stopped trying. Although training programs have proliferated for violin-making as they have for guitar-making, gradu- ates generally want to be in a big city, where they can make a good living just doing repair, he says. In terms of repairs and sales, "is is not a hot spot, especially for higher-end instruments. It's not like you're in New York and can go to 20 different makers. If someone comes up here, they pretty much have to have seen my instruments and know they want one." But rents are "ridiculously low compared to Boston," he adds — less than $1,000 for his workshop, varnish room, stockrooms and retail shop. Circa Guitars are produced in South Portland. Circa Guitars are produced in South Portland. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L O W I N G P A G E » C O U R T E S Y / C I R C A G U I TA R S

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