St. Louis Strings stocks a wide selection of student to professional bows and instruments in all price ranges, makes, models, and sizes. But in the following pages we are featuring pictures only of our exclusive shop-crafted instruments because we feel their unique beauty and sound are far superior to other instruments in that price range.

The K.C. Series line of instruments are crafted to our standards at our affiliated private shop in Beijing. K.C. Strings experts travel there frequently to control quality and make sure that the instruments are made to our precise specifications. When at our shop, they are given a professional set-up by our craftsman. K.C. Series instruments are comparable to the top line of any manufactured school instruments for sound and craftsmanship and have a wonderful sound and look for the price.

The R.C. Williams line of instruments are crafted to our standards at our affiliated private shop in Beijing. K.C. Strings experts travel there frequently to control quality and make sure that the instruments are made to our precise specifications. Then, more than 50% of their construction and detail is completed in our shop. K.C. Strings performs the graduations, the bass bar installation, the varnish and other making aspects. They are given a professional set-up by the craftsmen in our shop. These instruments are perfect for use by intermediate and advancing students.

The Richard Williams Sr. line of instruments are partially crafted at our affiliated private shop in Romania from seasoned European wood. They are then shipped to our shop rough and unfinished. Once these instruments are in K.C. Strings, our professional craftsmen do the finish work on them which is more extensive than on the R.C. Williams line. The more complex sealer and varnish allow the instruments to be extremely resonant and beautiful. They are given a professional set-up by the craftsmen in our shop. These instruments work very well with intermediate and advanced students.

The Williams & Krutz line of instruments are crafted solely in our Kansas City workshop by our makers. All aspects of the crafting process are controlled and overseen by luthiers Anton Krutz and Rick Williams. We hand choose every single piece of European and American maple and spruce used to make these instruments. The wood is then aged for five to ten years before the instrument crafting begins. Anton's own proprietary sealer and varnish are used. These instruments are then given a professional set-up by the craftsmen in our shop. Highly advanced high school and college students tend to play these instruments.

The Anton Krutz instruments are the top line of instruments crafted at K.C. Strings. Master luthier Anton Krutz constructs these instruments with the help of the best makers at K.C. Strings. Only the highest grade European and American maple and spruce are used for these instruments, and are carefully selected by Krutz. The wood is then aged for five to ten years before the instrument making begins. Each instrument is professionally set-up by Krutz and his staff. These instruments are played by advanced students and professionals throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The uniqueness of the Krutz instruments comes from Anton's proprietary sealer and varnish. These produce the same quality of sound as the fine Italian instruments of the old masters.

Please inquire if you have a something already in mind. You can select in your price range and upgrade with a 100% trade-in on all full size instruments purchased from us.

"The most important aspect to buying a student instrument is where you are buying it." You have to get instruments from a "Violin shop" that has a many years longstanding reputation, references and trade-in policy. K.C. Strings has all three.

1. Our shop has been featured in every major Kansas City newspaper and news channel.
2. Our many years in business lets you know the instruments we sell are high quality at good prices because professional musicians and their students are our clientele.
3. Our selection of upper level instruments and the ability to trade-up to them is an even more important consideration than the initial student instrument purchase.

Many music stores (that sell kazoos to drums) and dubious internet sites that sell string instruments are risky. We've seen many people waste their money on these outlets. Because there are dozens of factories throughout the world, each produces different grades of instrument according to their own individual standards.

Therefore there is no way to do comparison shopping because the instrument's quality cannot be determined by looking at it's description and pictures. Also, unlike brass or woodwinds, string instruments are not set up and ready to play at the factory. Unprofessional set up at the store they were first shipped to can make an instrument practically unplayable and can cost hundreds of dollars to be redone.

The knowledgeable luthiers (violinmakers) at K.C. Strings make sure there are high standards of quality for all our instruments. Top all that with the realization that you may be stuck with your instrument purchased somewhere else when it comes time to upgrade and it becomes clear why "The most important aspect to buying a student instrument is where you are buying it."