duane88

I wouldn't give them 200 bucks for the Kay cello that it goes with!

Interesting jiggering of the fingerboard/neck. After looking over the pics, I can't really say. Could be Chinese, could be French. Could be made by a Chinese maker working in a French workshop.

"presumed" by whom? From the photographs it would seem that he learned the trade in Germany.

Email Peter Ratliff, who posts regularly here, and ask him. Since he does them, he can give you that answer.

Aside from the label looking like it was printed with a modern ink jet printer, why would the label state "Milan, Italy", when Milan would have been sufficient for 1843, and the Kingdom of Italy was officialy founded in 1861?

An instrument of that age might have a post patch not because of a crack, but because of 200+ years of sound post adjustment that has chewed that area of the top up and made a mess. It is pretty impossible to fit a proper post to a chewed up top. Consider this: Many living makers put inlaid sound post patches in their new instruments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_glaze

There should be no difference in sound if repaired properly.

I just looked at the lot. The crack can be repaired, it isn't anything special or problematic unless it is being held together with some sort of alternative adhesive. Anyone who would offer to replace the top instead of repairing the crack should not be trusted with your instruments.

No. I've seen quite a few of those. Are you sure that it isn't something like Lucite? I see a Lucite chinrest and a tailpiece that are cool and functional.

Eric, I know that we need a USFW permit to export, but do other countries accept that document for import, or are there import documents needed for other countries? I know that Casey Burns (a flute maker up here) had some things returned from the EU. He had done right on his end, but the clients didn't know what to do on the other end.

That isn't really that old for a piece of wood for a violin. If the wood is really that difficult to work, perhaps it is not the correct piece of wood to use. "Old" isn't always good. Not to offend, but how good are you at sharpening? Perhaps your tools are sharp, but not sharp enough. You could dampen the wood with a sponge wet with water. Just a bit, and keep it away from the center joint. That would make it easier to carve, but might cause distortion. Damp, not wet.

I love lie-nielsen and have most of their planes, but the so-called violin maker's plane is cute but a bit useless. Either the Veritas or LN block planes will serve you well. I would avoid the wood river. Unless something has changed it will need too much work to make it work as well as either of the aforementioned brands. Either the 60 1/2 or the 102 from LN will serve you well and long.

In the lore of Martin Guitars, there is a BRW log that shows up in many very fine sounding guitars. Guitars that have this wood in them are referred to as having been made from, "The Log". Those D-18s had very homely looking red spruce that sounds awesome. I've got one, and a little 0-18 from '46 that has a patently ugly piece of wood in the top, but sounds awesome. Sorta like that Cremonese log with the stripe that show up in many fine instruments. I agree with d'amore: panel your rec room with it.

They need work in order to sell. Lots of neck/overstand issues. Somewhat difficult to sell.