William Moennig & Son quietly closed in mid-December after surviving the Great Depression, two world wars and an evolution in classical music as tastes changed.
It was already among the last of the big violin service shops. A proliferation of do-it-yourself books has rendered the full-service shop obsolete.
Former employee Mike Purcell says "it's like a death in a way for people."
The shop has served musicians including Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman and Philadelphia Orchestra greats. The closure also comes as many big-city orchestras are struggling.
