A Biography 

Steven Beckley was born in Menlo Park California in 1955. Always tinkering, he had an early fascination for musical instruments and working with wood. At the age of nineteen he began professionally repairing fretted instruments. As his skills unfolded and grew, he expanded his business to the restoring, repairing and construction of classical guitars.

In 1981 He began making bows under the tutelage of William Salchow. His instruction with Mr. Salchow continued through 1983.

From 1982 until 1986 he worked for Boyd Poulsen where he was given additional instruction in bow repair and restoration. He continued to make bows from scratch on his nights and days off.

In 1986 Mr. Beckley began building bows full time at his shop in Los Altos, California dedicating most of his time to making bows for the wholesale trade.

In 1989 He earned his Journeyman's Degree from the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers.

In 1999 Steve Beckley and his wife Meryl moved to the scenic Mendocino coast in Northern California. After completing the construction of their home and shop, Meryl has taken on most of the day to day running of the supply business www.BowWorks.com, which caters to other makers who work on bows and need the necessary supplies, materials and information to achieve their goals. This tranquil setting has allowed Mr. Beckley to concentrate on the making of bows.