Richf

This ebay fiddle from 1882 has its tailpiece as an extension of the fingerboard: https://www.ebay.com/itm/355972175672 . The "maker" patented that device as something that somehow would enhance the sound by virtue of a magnetic field. According to Wenberg, he did not actually make violins. Attached is an additional photo the seller sent me, which seems to show a large magnet between the fingerboard and top plate. Maybe a potential precursor to electric guitars -- before there was electricity? It might have done something as long as the strings were steel, but not so much with heavy metals wound on fibers. But what -- if anything?

FWIW some "Duke London" violins discussed here in years past were attributed to the Caussin shop.

The head on this doesn't look quite like yours, but maybe the font on "Professional" is similar? https://cohenviolins.com/products/a-good-silver-mounted-german-violin-bow . That's a neat old pin repair behind the head. I can't see the damage there at all.

Too bad. I hope you at least got to see the Tour de France race through town on Sunday.

Michael, does the museum still include the reconstructed workshop of Otello Bignami? In a separate room just off the atrium with that giant banana tree. When I visited seven years ago, poking around his workshop was the highlight of the visit for me. I had to ask the curators for help finding it, but then they unlocked the door and left me there unattended. Very cool collection of tools and forms, lying around pretty much as if Otello had just stepped out for lunch. Maybe someone else has photos -- I can't find the ones I took at the time. EDIT: Here's a link to it. http://informa.comune.bologna.it/iperbole/musicaen/documenti/78986

Edit..too slow

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I hope this is not distracting from the main identity question, but.... Is that knuckle wear just behind the leather grip a problem for valuation? See cropped photo. I also have seen similar depressions resulting from the ill-fitting (I think) frogs. Would you try to correct that or just leave it as is? I have a cello bow that had a much bigger depression, almost half way through the stick, which my local bow guy cleverly filled in with an epoxy mix matching the color. (FWIW, ergonomically, before its repair that depression had made my cello bow really comfortable to hold.)

For many of us older posters here, Al Stancel was Maestronet. His many valuable and gracious comments are what got me hooked on the website. I encourage a look at the old posts around the time of his passing. Eg, or

I hope that posting a link to this ariticle does not pose any copyright problems: https://stringsmagazine.com/untangling-the-dodds-re-evaluating-historical-english-bow-making-in-all-its-complexity/ .

Here are a couple more pics of my "Dodd," focussing on the frog and adjuster. I see French and German features there. The two pins in the underslide don't show up very well.

Just to add to this photo assemblage, here is a "Dodd" bow that I have been told is is German copy of a James Dodd. I really like these Dodd/Tubbs style heads.

FWIW, Martin Brinser's booklet on 20th-century Italian makers, lists Lodovico Giovanetti: "b. 1893. Doctor-amateur maker. Yellow or golden-brown varnish. Nice workmanship. Branded."

Concerning that dovetail neck joint, many years ago someone here suggested to me that that was the way that the Germans fit bass necks. I had found a similar feature on an old viola of unknown origins.

Actually, the bow was returned, too, and here it showed up for auction again last month: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/166468950 . I suspect the original "buyer" stiffed the Goodwill folks.