Tucked away in the quiet village of El Portal, just north of the Miami city line, lies a 1930s cottage that feels far removed from the surrounding urban landscape. Located in the tree-shaded Sherwood Forest area near a bend in the Little River, this unassuming residence houses an unexpected treasure: Miami String Haus. Inside what was once a living room, visitors find rows of fine cellos, violas, violins, and double basses, ranging from rare antiques to instruments for beginners. 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. Who live upstairs with their young daughter, attend to visitors who have come from afar for what Miami String Haus offers in this enchanted setting — a full panoply of stringed instruments and repair and restoration services for classical and jazz musicians, from miniature violins for preschool beginners to basses for orchestral professionals that cost tens of thousands of dollars, owners Charles and Katrina Winters. 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, ponytailed craftsman, spends his days in the workshop meticulously repairing and restoring instruments. He has honed his skills over nearly 45 years. Owners Charles and Katrina Winters run the operation, which has grown from a humble startup into one of Florida’s most comprehensive full-service string shops. Charles, a 43-year-old Miami native and El Portal councilman, launched the business over 15 years ago with the goal of filling a void in the local music community. 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. As a first-term El Portal councilman, Winters has endeavored to make sure the mound — a big selling point when he and Katrina bought and restored the cottage to house their growing business a decade ago — is properly maintained and protected. According to andai, Miami String meets a critical need, especially in serving Miami music students, that would otherwise likely go unfilled.
The location of the shop is as unique as its inventory. Directly across the street sits a 1,400-year-old preserved Tequesta Indian burial mound, a site that Winters, in his capacity as a councilman, works to protect. This historic backdrop complements the shop’s goal of fostering a local culture of high-caliber music-making. Winters describes his philosophy simply: “Music is the accompaniment to life,” he says. “Music is life.”
The shop’s impact extends far beyond El Portal. It serves a diverse clientele, including students from the New World School of the Arts, musicians performing at the Arsht Center, and artists touring on cruise ships. Daniel Andai, principal violinist of the Miami Symphony and dean of the New World School of the Arts, notes that Winters has become a vital resource for the city. Andai points out that if the shop were not available to accommodate the needs of local students and professionals, a significant gap in the musical ecosystem would be felt throughout South Florida.
The range of services provided by Miami String Haus is illustrated by its varied visitors. For instance, violist Matheus Ramos, a student at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, recently stopped by for a bow repair. Meanwhile, touring jazz musician Vincent Hsu from Taiwan frequently rents high-end basses from the shop for his South Florida engagements, such as his recent performances at the WDNA Jazz Gallery and The Burrow. For a recent trio performance featuring Grammy-winning drummer Dafnis Prieto and pianist Martin Bejerano, Hsu selected a top-tier instrument valued at $39,000.
To handle the high demand for their expertise, Winters and Cockrum have expanded their reach beyond the cottage. They developed a mobile workshop—a fully equipped trailer that travels across the state to provide on-site repairs at major music festivals and conventions, including gatherings like the International Society of Bassists meeting. Whether they are working on a routine repair or restoring a violin dating back to the 1880s or 1890s, the team treats every item with precision. It’s a bit like going through the secret portal in the back of the wardrobe to the magical land of Narnia.
While the business has achieved an international footprint—owning a workshop in eastern Europe and overseeing bespoke manufacturing in a Chinese factory—its heart remains in the El Portal community. For Winters, the work is about more than commerce; it is a dedicated effort to ensure that the city’s musical landscape remains vibrant and accessible to the next generation of performers.
