Ron1

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.

Not so sure that neck graft isn't a clever fake.

I think the answer, which should solve the problems, is to have a governmental department which would be able to economically produce enough low-cost instruments that everyone could have one. I know that is not possible, but maybe in four years...

Knute Reindahl (pictured left) was a decorative woodcarver until he began is violin making career in 1894 at the age of 37. He handsomely supported his family of seven for over 40 years, making his last violin, #585, in 1935, shortly before his death in January, 1936.

I took it he was referring to the monitors, not just someone who reads here.

Other than the wildly ranging prices, the only constant basis of measurement or comparison for these categories is player (or non-player/playable). Otherwise one category is by maker; one is by Country of origin; one is by price range only; and one is visual.

I don't believe that violinists of lesser abilities, ie: students, amateurs, etc, use the term "axe".

When an accomplished violinist refers to their instrument as a "fiddle", it is an elitist and egotistical act and an attempt to render themselves more special. It's not unlike the emperor without clothes- no one will dare question them because they have the 'right' to use the term. Even more silly (and elitist and egotistical), is when they use the term "axe" when referring to their instruments.

I have an old Norwegian box that has this type of "knife cut" inscription on the inside of the lid, which has allowed me to determine the probable maker of the box from the initials & date (1830). It was a wedding gift from an Uncle of my great-great-grandmother when she was married in 1830.

$2,000 is not a reasonable price for this instrument.

The second, higher number on his label (#7275 on the op's instrument) was his model number of the instrument.

I think the name may be Wilhelms rather than Wilhelmj.

I visited Jim Van Lanen a number of years ago in Two Rivers to see and photograph his 1923 Reindahl violin. He also showed me other violins he had, but I don't remember who the makers were.

I had Joseph Joachim in mind...

Are those initials "J J" on the last set? Hmm

There seems to be two separate questions/topics going on here- one regarding the varnish, and another regarding whether or not Holmdale was even the maker. A couple posts, including mine, suggested he may not have been the maker, unless someone could point to other instruments he had made. Then Michael posted the above, and no one has even mentioned this apparent "other" violin with his actual label. Can we see more of this instrument for comparison? Does it have similarities to the OP's violin? I think this could go a long way toward answering whether or not Holmdale was the maker.

A quick search doesn't bring up anything else re violins in conjunction with Thurston Holmdale or Torsten Holmdahl. He is always listed as an "artist" or "scenic artist", never as a "violin maker". Unless others have knowledge of other instruments by him, I would be very skeptical that he was the maker of this violin. In 1918 he was still signing documents, etc. using the original spelling of his name (Torsten Holmdahl), and it seems that if he was the maker he would have used that spelling rather than the "Americanized" version. I also noted his documented handwriting and written numbers at the time were very neatly executed, as might be expected of an artist, and in contrast to the rather crudely made inscription inside the violin, although it is certainly possible someone else added the inscription later. At any rate, someone with the ability to produce an instrument like this, would surely have made others.

I visited the Wons atelier on several occasions back, I believe, in the sixties. It was located, as previously pointed out, in a second floor space on State Street in Madison, WI. This space later became the 'upstairs' of the "Upstairs-Downstairs cafe".