scordatura

I thought the tip facing looked out of place and a bit thick and clunky to my eye also. Thanks

Anyone have any ideas?

Looks like you are doing a proper job Mike. I am looking forward to your findings. Have you looked at your vanish under UV light (wood lamp)? If so do they show the salmon color of the color varnish and the pale yellow of the ground?

Isn't Jason Price the person who is doing the certificates? In the authentication business, it is a matter of your experience (how many instruments you have seen), techniques (identify purfling material, etc) and your eye/instinct. This is why there are few experts particularly those who see many of the rare and very expensive instruments. Here is Jason Price's CV. You make the decision if he has the background to be an expert. Personally I feel that they have an interesting modernization if not a redo of the old auction houses like Sotheby's or Christies. Jason studied the cello from an early age and became interested in violin making and restoration while searching for his first serious cello. At the age of 18, he enrolled at Cremona’s school of violin making, but lasted just two weeks there before deciding to study with Renato Scrollavezza in Parma. After living and working in Cremona and Parma for three years and completing nine and a half violins he returned to the US, where he took up a degree in English Literature at Williams College in Massachusetts. It was towards the end of Jason’s degree course that the idea of starting Tarisio was born, and the company was launched in 1999. In recent years Jason has concentrated on broadening the reach of Tarisio with several initiatives including expanding the London office and concentrating on higher end instruments through discrete private sales. Jason is the primary expert for Tarisio’s attributions and believes that a conservative and transparent approach to expertise is the way of the future. Jason spends most of his time in London but spends one week a month in New York. As an avid photographer and technology enthusiast Jason enjoys Tarisio’s unique fusion of 18th-century instruments and 21st-century technology and wonders what yesteryear giants like Strad, Vuillaume, and the Hills would say of Tarisio’s new approach to violin sales and expertise.

Picked up this bow today. Needs a bit of clean up. Interesting chamfered frog. Vuillaume to the extreme. Wood looks like pernambuco or at least decent Brazilwood. Obviously nickel fittings and silver winding (not pictured but has tell tale black tarnish. No name stamp. A trade bow that plays pretty well. Any ideas about origin?

One thing that struck me about the Kreisler GDG was that it was very shiny as if it had been French polished. My old photos and recollection was that it was not nearly that shiny. I have noticed that this goes against the trend of some restorers these days that remove French polish and go for a more matte finish.

Probably a better setting than just one individual. Besides you are probably more erudite and charming than I am.

Yes I can understand being more protective with the instruments. However I remember Bob Sheldon saying that these were the citizens of the US’s instruments. Now it has the feel of a “club” where outsiders are not welcome. She talked about the provenance, the great quartets that are invited, the Oberlin crowd, and all of the things she had done to further scientific research.

Funny you should mention the Chimneys School visit. One of the times I was there, Ed Campbell’s students strolled in. I had to be patient as the downstairs room got very busy. I remember in particular when one of the students took a credit card to the top of the Betts to check the arching. He was delighted to find out that Ed’s flat arching theory was wrong. Apparently they had Been debating the issue. When I got back I looked in my “little red book” and had a chuckle about the flat portion of the arching.

Leaving tomorrow. Will keep that in mind. Thanks.

I have that drill press! Love it!

I visited the Library of Congress today to view the bowed string instruments there. Having been there three times before and had a fantastic experience, I realized today how lucky I was in my past visits with another curator (now retired). I had quite a bit of trouble scheduling a visit. It took numerous emails and phone calls. Unlike in years past, there is no playing of the instruments. I can understand that given the value of the items. All I will say is that the curator Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford is hard to get a hold of (she is part-time) and a strange combination of nice and at times rude and unprofessional. After getting quite a bit of runaround I will probably not be going back anytime soon. My advice to anyone trying to visit is be persistent and clarify details like where you are meeting. Perhaps your experience will be different than mine was. Sorry no pics...

It was the concept. Re-welds itself... That's what got me for a second.

Had to read that twice. Thought you had lost it there for a minute Nick!

https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/340271-ads-new-bench/&do=findComment&comment=831476 Examples of AD’s antiquing.