wooden

Hello. I have this violin for complete repair and I have been surprised by the grain orientation of the top and bottom blocks. It is not the usual (at least for me) one as it runs horizontaly. (The front part of the top block seems to be a later addition) The bottom one has the linings morticed in it. Has someone seen these features before? Do they belong to any school or are they more common than I thought? Thank you very much in advance.

Yes Mat. It is exactly what it is like.

Hi. I have this violin with a neck attachment that differs from usual modern ones. I have read somewhere that this is a method used between baroque period and modern one. Is this the case? Or maybe some schools used it in more modern times? If this is a transitional one how old do you think it can be? Thank you very much in advance.

I have this violin bow that presents a feature I have not usually seen and would like to ask if it is familiar to any of you. The head has a silver (?) plate instead o a ivory one. Is this a feature common to any school or is it useful for identifying it? Thanks in advance.

Thanks. I'm sorry I can't see any label or inscription.

Hi. Can anyone help in identifying this violin? It has painted purfling. I think it can be a common feature among some low quality English violins. Could this be one of them? Thanks in advance.

Hi Conor. Thanks a lot for your kind advise. It'e been very useful. The neck was attached to the block with a smaller block inserted between both of them functioning as a joint. A very complicated way of attachment...

Thanks for your helpful reply. Do you think it would be better to replace the top block? I've seen it doesn't fit the upper surface of the top and this can cause problems when closing the body. It is also straight (as you indicate) in the upper side and has cracked the rib in the border of contact so I think it would be better to carve a more matching surface in this area. When making a new smaller block it would also be a good idea to insert a nail to reinforce the joint.

It seems Blank face is right. It looks like the two pieces are of different wood and that the neck is merely butted to the ribs.

Hi. The bassbar seems to be carved and the bottom rib one piece. I hope this helps.

Hi. I have this violin for identification. It seems to be in good state of preservation just unglued and in need of a set up. It seems untouched and keeps its original painted fingerboard, bassbar and even tailpiece. Does anyone recognize this type of construction? The purflings are painted which makes me think of some English makers but I 'm not sure. Any suggestion? I never saw the type of neck attachment with a mortise in the neck heel. Thank you very much in advance.

Thank you very much Peter. It's been very helpful.

I have had this violin for years and I have some curiosity abut its origin. Any idea about its age or country? Thank you very much in advance

I've seen that it has the ribs inserted into a channel carved in the back. I've heard that it is a common feature in older French violins. Maybe another school uses this method too?

I've noticed another feature in the neck. There are two small iron pins along the center line of the neck where the fingerboard is placed. Maybe to align the neck during assembly? Maybe to secure the fingerboard? It doesn't facilitate later fingerboard removal...