James Ham

Born in the United States, James has been living in Canada since 1965. He started making musical instruments while he was still in high school and has a life long interest in not only musical instruments, but scientific instruments as well.

“I came to Victoria with a business partner in 1972 to start a musical instrument retail and repair shop then known as Victoria Folklore Centre, now know as Old Town Strings,” says James. “My primary business since that time has been repairing and restoring string instruments as well as buying and selling instruments and since 1995 I’ve been making new double basses”.

“Obviously I made a career out of string instruments because I love them and since I also use tools daily and love antiques, I have accumulated an extensive collection of antique instruments and tools,” says James. “I am also an amateur musician (I play violin in the Civic Orchestra of Victoria and have played fiddle banjo and guitar in folk bands). My wife is both a scientist and professional musician so she is tolerant of my obsession.”

The business has certainly changed. James notes: “I have been around long enough to see instruments that were commonplace and inexpensive become rare and valuable. It makes me feel old!”

Like the other Roadshow appraisers, James enjoys the people who bring their items to the show and share their stories.

“My favorite Roadshow client was the woman who brought in the screwdriver attachment for the electric drill along with the patent documents proving that her father had invented it in 1947, but failed to find a manufacturer willing to make and market it. The invention is, of course, the same principle found in millions of drywall screwdrivers today. She only wanted her father to get some long overdue recognition and I hope we provided that.”

As for the elusive Stradivarius- which everyone seems to think they have… “I don't expect ever to see a previously unknown Stradivarius violin, those were valuable even when new and they were always in the hands of people who know their value. I have had the experience a couple of time of telling a customer that on the one hand, the violin they thought was valuable was in fact worthless, but on the other hand the bow they thought nothing of was very valuable (in one case over $40,000).”

But like most Roadshow appraisers, it isn’t necessarily the dollar value that is the most interesting thing about an item.

“I realize that a dollar value is a major hook for the viewers (fantasy of sudden riches) but I'm a lot more interested in the story and the history as well as the artistic beauty and craftsmanship of the object,” says James.

James is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bowmakers, The Violin Society of America and of the National Music Museum (in Vermillion South Dakota) and was the winner of the 2002 Manning Innovation Award for his double bass innovations. He has been a participant and presenter at the Violin Acoustics Workshop in Oberlin Ohio under the auspices of the Violin Society of America and at the recent convention of the Acoustical Society of America in Vancouver B.C.

“I love the show. I've watched the British and American one as well as the Canadian one for years, I'm surprised and delighted to be on it!”

Read about some of our other experts here.