Tucked away in the village of El Portal, just north of Miami’s city line, a 1930s cottage serves as an unlikely sanctuary for musicians. Inside the Sherwood Forest section, bordered by the Little River, the building houses an extensive collection of cellos, violas, violins, and double basses. The shop, known as Miami String Haus, operates out of a converted living room that feels disconnected from the bustle of the city, offering a workspace that owners Charles and Katrina Winters describe as a hub for both professionals and students. It’s a bit like going through the secret portal in the back of the wardrobe to the magical land of Narnia. In the lush and tree-shadowed Sherwood Forest section on a bend in the Little River, the door to a storybook 1930 cottage opens to an utterly unexpected world: neatly arrayed rows of fine cellos, violas, violins and bulky double basses, some of them rare and antique, fill a compact showroom in what used to be the living room, in the tiny village of El Portal just north of the Miami city line. Fresh evidence of the hidden layers that often define this fast-changing city, that this best-kept of Miami secrets has its setting in out-of-the-way El Portal only adds to its surprising story.
Master luthier Dale Cockrum, a bearded expert with nearly 45 years of experience, works in an adjacent workshop. Cockrum, 69, is highly regarded for his ability to craft instruments from scratch, though the shop’s current high volume of work focuses primarily on intricate repairs and restorations. The team currently handles everything from tiny violins for beginners to professional-grade basses worth tens of thousands of dollars. A superbly skilled, bearded and ponytailed master luthier named Dale Cockrum bends over a bass he’s spent days working on, in the adjacent workshop.
Charles Winters, a 43-year-old local councilman and multi-instrumentalist, founded the business over 15 years ago. Starting with minimal capital, he aimed to address a significant gap in the regional music scene. Today, his shop functions as one of Florida’s most comprehensive service centers for classical and jazz musicians, maintaining international connections through bespoke manufacturing in China and an additional workshop located in eastern Europe. Who is also an El Portal councilman, started the business over 15 years ago on little more than a shoestring and a burning desire to fill a growing void, the 43-year-old. The startup has grown into one of the biggest — and, according to Winters, one of the last — full-service shops of its kind in Florida, at a time when classical and jazz musicians struggle to attract and retain audiences.
The environment surrounding the shop is as unique as its inventory. Across the street sits a 1,400-year-old Tequesta Indian burial mound, a village-protected site that Winters has worked to preserve since he and Katrina restored their cottage a decade ago. This wooded setting helps sustain the shop’s dreamlike atmosphere, which many clients find deeply inspiring.
Prominent musicians, including Daniel Andai—the principal violinist of the Miami Symphony and dean of the New World School of the Arts—regard the shop as a vital community asset. Andai noted that if the facility were to disappear, the city’s music ecosystem would suffer a significant loss. The shop supports various institutions, providing instruments to cruise ship performers, local public and private schools, and students at the New World school.
The business caters to a wide array of needs, exemplified by recent visitors. Violist Matheus Ramos, a student at the Peabody Institute in Maryland, recently utilized the shop for a bow repair. Meanwhile, touring jazz bassist and composer Vincent Hsu, visiting from Taiwan, rented a $39,000 instrument for performances at venues like the WDNA Jazz Gallery and The Burrow. These instruments receive the same rigorous preparation regardless of whether they are antiques or student-level models.
The shop’s reputation for quality has spurred such high demand that Winters and Cockrum developed a mobile workshop housed in a trailer. This portable unit travels throughout Florida, offering on-site repairs at major industry events, such as the International Society of Bassists meeting in 2023. Beyond repairs, the staff provides professional appraisals and detailed research on historical instruments, including an 1880s-era violin currently undergoing restoration.
For Winters, the mission transcends simple commerce. He views the preservation and maintenance of these instruments as a essential contribution to the arts in his hometown. Emphasizing his dedication to the field, he often reminds visitors of his philosophy: “Music is the accompaniment to life,” he says. “Music is life.” Presiding over it all is the ebullient, Mohawk-topped and flip-flop-shod Winters, a Miami native, music teacher and double-bassist who plays a dozen other instruments.
