jacobsaunders

Except the ones where the hole is above centre. Up or down doesn't matter. If it is off-centre to the bass or treble side, one can get the famous “Wandersteg” (wandering bridge)

The concern of the OP, the A string fowling the D peg, can be irritating, particularly for those using blank gut strings, since it can marginally alter the tuning of the A string, should one turn the D peg. The ivory (normally) pin between the A and D peg, found particularly on baroque South German and Austrian violins with a very curvy peg box, worked perfectly. This pin has mostly been removed or obliterated in the intervening 200 years or so, not because it were ineffective, but rather because it is in the way of any repairman grafting a new neck. Having said that, it isn't necessary on any modern more aerodynamic peg box, should one judiciously place the peg holes, so that I would reserve judgement, until the OP provides a photograph of the peg box in question.

The hunt for the Holy Grail (again)

You can start here http://www.geigenbaumuseum-mittenwald.de/index.php?id=105&L=2 if you want to speculate which one is which

Should one have a big box of rib garlands, and a big stack of pre-routed backs, it is not difficult to choose those where the wood grain reasonably matches, one merely has to want too. In fact, when I make a new neck graft on an instrument, I endeavour to choose wood that (nearly) matches. A reason to choose widely contrasting wood for a neck graft, would be to lull ebay like people into noticing that it were grafted, and believing that the violin is older than it were.

Since you are having it repaired by a „great shop“ (your assesment), you should discuss it with your repairman/woman, since aproaching him/her with all sorts of ideas from sundry annonymous rubbernecks online will probably drive him mad (it would me)

Linin strips are, as I understand it a crack prophylaxis. One often sees them on early to mid 18th C South German/Austrian violins/cellos, not only on the ribs, but a strip above and below the f-hole, with apparent success.

If you are one of those people who thrash out exerpts of the Saint-Saens violin concerto (or similar) right next to my head, whilst I am trying to concentrate, you should realise that I detest such people.

I would asses your violin as beeing from late 18th c Mittenwald, although I might doubt that the label is original to the instrument

I do not go to auctions to meet „good violinists“ (or bad ones)

have 2 big boxes of finished rib-garlands (half outside mould) that one may trace back to the Carl Zach shop, (not to mention a stack of pre-fabricted bellies), which went bankrupt in 1893 (from memory). So these „Großstadtgeigen“ were made with bought in, pre-fabricated parts. As such it is hopeless to try and diagnose if Herr Müller or Herr Mayer put the finishing touches (e.g. corners, purfling, varnish, etc.) to one of these Instruments. If you find a stamp, inscription or label, you can give the baby a name, otherwise you will have to stick with „orange violin".

When I go to an auction, I wouldn’t dream of playing any of the violins/celli, rather I find various people with the bit between their teath, playing e.g. the Tschaikovsky concerto on a violin with 3 strings quite irritating.

I suppose it’s a bit like ice-skating at the Olympics.

Back in the stone age, when I made my first violin in my dad’s workshop (1975), the auctions (engl. „Sales“) were a wholesale event, where violin makers bought run down violins that mostly probably came from some probate estate, repaired them, and offered them to the p.t. public when done up. Ever since then, they have been doing their damndest to muscle in on the retail trade and appeal to the less informed player, with Dollar (Pound, Euro) signs in their eyes. If they are having a „crisis“ I hope they enjoy it, but I doubt they are.

I cannot agree with you that any of the (very large) Thumhard familly were involved, although they did use the integral neck (without top block) as did all the Buchstetter school. We had a long and detailed thread about Buchstetter etc. a few years ago, including some Thumhard pictures. This thread included many of the detailed features of this school which I don't notice on your violin, you might like to look. https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/329708-gabriel-david-buchstetter/&do=findComment&comment=609109 Thumbing through one of the Hamma books is in my view a treacherous way to appraise fiddles, and it reminds me omminously of an ex employer of mine who finished up in prison