Ron1

Agreed, Stern. Knute Reindahl, in addition to being an excellent woodcarver and instrument maker, was a marketing genius. His marketing and self-promotion skills are largely what enabled him to thrive in that business alone, for forty years.

As long as no one has bothered to answer your original question, I"ll try: No.

It could be, but I haven't heard that.

I have tried contacting a (extended) family member for information, but they do not respond. I have the idea there is some sort of rift between the Vettori violin making families, so that is possibly the reason. Certainly someone should have information.

I have never been able to send private messages to other members. My inbox is apparently over-full (356%) and I am unable to delete any messages. I also am unable to contact Maestronet support from the message page. How can I clean up my message account so I will be able to send messages? Ron1

Does anyone know whom I might contact to learn what will be the disposition of instruments, etc. from the shop of the Maestro? Thank you.

Mr. Burgess?

Is it only the top, as shown?

English is not my first language.

The back also seems like something other than maple..?

Orben Sime, a young man from a rural farm family in Readstown, Wisconsin, made what was probably the very first "Pitchfork Cello", and spent his entire adult life criss-crossing the country and often sleeping in his pickup truck, performing on his cello and other lesser-known instruments, mainly for church groups and homes for the elderly and poor. He felt he had been "called upon by the Lord" to do this work. He never charged for his performances, although he did accept "free-will offerings" and occasional lodging provided at venues. After 'wearing out' his original cello, Orben commissioned another one in 1929 from Knute Reindahl.

I presume it's Silver Maple- I have some highly figured pieces like that from one that fell in my yard about 20-25 years ago. Does Silver Maple make for decent tone wood?

Knute Reindahl (1857-1936), the Norwegian/American luthier employed the 4-piece purfling method in some of his early instruments, having learned it from his Danish teachers, Peder Adamsen & Adamsen's student Peter Paulsen, in Chicago. Adamsen had learned it from his teacher, Frederick Hansen in Denmark. There were also a number of other Danish makers during that period that used the 4-piece method. It was faster and simpler than the 3-piece method: In order to have a wider center 'strip', they shaved both dark & light strips the same thickness, thereby not having to change thickness settings on the plane; then cut the light strip into two pieces and merely doubled them to obtain the thicker light center 'strip'. I don't know that this method originated in Denmark, however it was used there in the very early part of the 19th century. Jens Stenz, maker in Denmark, is the expert on Danish violin making, and has written extensively on the subject, including their use of the 4-piece purfling method.

The OP's violin looks like that hideous purple finish was slathered on after it was strung up.

I'm with Claudio- if not photographically destroyed, then photographically shortchanged.