franciscus
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Posts posted by franciscus
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13 hours ago, martin swan said:
Franciscus ... where have you been!?
Hi, Martin! I was working on a complex project: the first goal was to survive my daughter's marriage, and the second goal was to become a full professor. The first goal has been achieved, at least for now (since I'm still alive), and to the other, I have much more to ride. Hope that you are alive and kicking
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Natural beeswax sometimes can be slightly acidic, due to sugars degradation, which is not the case with artificial (paraffine) wax (never gummy if one uses it very sparingly - first onto the rag, then onto the - previously cleaned - screw).
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I would give a chance to Zippo petrol or mineral oil (liquid paraffin) too.
EDIT (I forgot the classics): This is what I usually do (Thanks, J. Saunders):
keeping in mind this:
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On 3/6/2002 at 4:09 PM, Victor J. Colon said:
I have two Certificates of North Bennet School Summer Seminars. For The Violin and Bow Makers Society ,this Certificates are like Toilet Paper..wich I consider very unjust.
Please, could you explain this statement?
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After you tried "nearly a hundred bows", you decided to go to eBay?
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11 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:
I posted this lecture on Mn some years ago, but cant find it (help, anyone??)
If this text is the one, please, send me the pdf to franc.andrejas@gmail.com, if it is not, please, send me the pdf
Cheers, Franc
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On 1/26/2018 at 3:06 PM, ~ Ben Conover said:
The Gilles Nehr videos are interesting
Please, could you post a link to the mentioned video?
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2 hours ago, Bill Yacey said:
That article is kind of difficult to wade through; it looks like a google translation from Russian.
Here is the Russian text.
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8 hours ago, franciscus said:On 1/26/2018 at 5:45 PM, Madmox said:
Interesting the path it took though life and that someone thought enough of it to have it pulled apart and have it blocked, regraduated and a new bass bar installed. By a Russian luthier no less.
This russian art forum has his history or at least what I have been able to find. It would appear he was invited to Germany to make repairs to Prince Ludwigs violins and was appointed chief curator or Czar Nicholas II’s collection of violins.
I'd say that Mr. Dobriansky has nothing with this violin, because the label says: "Tone and timbre perfected according to the procedure discovered by L. Dobriansky" etc.
But, after reading this article (posts)...
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On 1/26/2018 at 5:45 PM, Madmox said:
Interesting the path it took though life and that someone thought enough of it to have it pulled apart and have it blocked, regraduated and a new bass bar installed. By a Russian luthier no less.
This russian art forum has his history or at least what I have been able to find. It would appear he was invited to Germany to make repairs to Prince Ludwigs violins and was appointed chief curator or Czar Nicholas II’s collection of violins.
I'd say that Mr. Dobriansky has nothing with this violin, because the label says: "Tone and timbre perfected according to the procedure discovered by L. Dobriansky" etc.
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I have three different endoscopes, but the key for the good pictures in the good lightening (appropriate lightening, more precisely).
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How I see things, you should first consider purchasing another violin, as a backup.This other violin can serve also as a workhorse for outdoor gigs, experiments with pickups can be performed on it, and, most importantly, it can serve as an instrument that can be played while the main instrument is being repaired. What is important for this other instrument is to be built as a tank and have a good setup. IV from Maryland has a New Year action and for $290 you can buy a complete outfit. I have nothing to do with IV, but I have all the praise for their customer care and Ken's knowledge and communications skills.
Secondly, the first opinion from the local violin shop sounds soundly grounded and reasonable. Replace fingerboard and bridge and get a usable violin.
As usual, these are my two small coins and nothing more. -
1 hour ago, Blank face said:
Though I was rummaging during the years shortly after the fall of the iron curtain through uncountable heaps of violins sampled at many places of Eastern Europe, I don't remember to see one of this labels you are showing. It would be good to have such a labelled example at hand to study, if there are, and if so, which kind of differences exist to the pre-war production, in regards of construction, bassbar, varnish etc. Maybe it's sometimes not enough to judge it by gut feeling or a general knowledge about periods of historical determined production. But the general opinion can be well studied within this thread, and maybe it's not worthwhile for the public to know if a low grade (put in here the attributes from the thread) was made some 30 years earlier or later.
Here, one can find (and buy, if one likes it, for 300€ - think that the price is negotiable) the nice 3/4: OLX. As I said before, think that our friend Rue has the very similar one. And, I do not think that these violins are worthless nor unplayable. But, it is just my humble opinion.
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7 hours ago, Blank face said:
Hi Franc,good to hear from you again - though you are making me confused with your statement.
I'm certainly unaware of the production of those type of violin after the war, especially in this form with integral bassbar and this type of label, which is nearly identical with the lettering used in the prewar Germany. I'm not experted in exactly dating cases, but I've had many of this type of case, too, containing 1920s violins, so that I won't be sure if there could be taken any evidence from this helping to date the instrument. Even the type of the fittings and bow make me rather think of pre 1939 than later.
Hello, Blank face, I'm glad to have an opportunity to exchange a few words with you again. And yes, I was speeding - the lettering on the Czechoslovakian labels I was writing about is different, typically like this one (picture was taken from the interesting blog of Jedidjah de Vries):
If I remember well, Rue has (or had) one of these violins.
7 hours ago, Blank face said:When you are writing that there were "zig millions" of 50s and 60s violins from Czechoslowakia, are you absolutely sure that they were made in this time frame, or could it be that they were exported only to your country during this period, but produced a good time earlier, before the war?
I cannot be absolutely sure, but in the 60s/70s every musical shop in former Yugoslavia has had a few outfits (brand new) with the violins labeled as the one from the picture and - besides a small number of violins from Mengeš, like the one we have a pleasant conversation about - these violins were the only violins that one could purchase regularly back then. Musical schools have had a lot of them in their fleets too. Regarding the case, I agree that it is not a sure proof for anything, but the cases in mentioned outfits were of the same type, besides the different lock and the interior - cases I am familiar with have been covered with the colorful wallpaper.
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2 minutes ago, BassClef said:
Franc, what is the range of dates that you believe the OP "Czech" 1/8 was made during?
I corrected the post you cited - sorry, I made a mistake. Regardless on that, I'd say that the period 1960-1965 would be pretty close.
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17 minutes ago, BassClef said:
Hi Franc, when was the OP Czech 1/8 made? It's hard to keep track of everything.
I do not think that I can put your violins in the narrow time frame because there is a zillion violins like yours, made between end of
sixtiesfifties and beginning of nineties, but - according to what I know about the cases (I am almost sure that you have the original case from the original outfit), the case from the middle of sixties have not been equipped with the key. -
On 10/10/2017 at 1:52 AM, BassClef said:
So, mood2000 and JacobSaunders, how can I reconcile these two posts? mood2000's intel suggests that my nice old violin was made between 1921-1993 and suggests that it was made after 1957! Jacob informs us that the instrument of high esteem was made between 1919 and roughly 1945. So could this violin have been made between 1945-1993 or not? What gives???
Hi, BC! I am pretty familiar with the "Made in Czechoslovakia" violins, and I would dare to say that mood2000 was right here and that you did not understand what Mr. Saunders said. Cheers, Franc
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9 minutes ago, GeorgeH said:
A violin that was offered for sale as an "Antonio Stradivarius Violin" can be legitimately returned if it is not a violin authentically made by Antonio Stradivarius.
Wrong: "Antonio Stradivarius Violin" means nothing, Anyone can give any name to his violin. Violin made BY Antonio Stradivarius is completely different case (the word "by" is the magic word in this world)
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6 minutes ago, peace said:
Both violins my friend bought were described as "professional pegs, good set up with quality strings and quality parts" This was quite misleading as my friend just told me the second violin he bought the strings were not only basic but two of the 4 strings had no windings at the peg end, this means tuning will be difficult. The bridge was also improperly cut and fitted so a new bridge is required. So that violin did not have a good set up as described. I have been watching this seller for some time and on numerous occasions he has auctioned the same violins concurrently on eBay and Cremonae.com. I certainly avoid this seller and now my friend has learned his lesson. As far as my friend is concerned he would not have complained if only the strings were bad because he was prepared to replaced them any way, but with both improper fitted bridge and pegs It was something else. I asked him why he bought a second violin he answer was simple " I just want an Italian violin that plays good and my last one was ok and hope to get a better one". This will be his last purchase from the seller.
I fully understand everything you described. Been there, done that. But, there is a lot of things YOU should fully understand prior to judge any eBay transaction. In example: (1) "professional pegs" means that these are pegs that (a) have been made by professional (almost all pegs go to that category) or (b) could be used by any professional (all pegs go to that category); (2) good set up; how could you prove that some set up is not good, and what the "good" exactly means and where it is described?; (3) quality strings and parts: no one stated the quality level - everything go to that category. I am an engineer and that kind of communication is the kind of communication I usually use - word for word, without any under- or overtones, without reading between the rows. If your friend really want to have nice Italian violin, there is a lot of reputable shops where he can find what he want. eBay is the playground for the others. FWIW
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2 hours ago, Setoise said:
Thank you for the information Franciscus. It's too bad no one in my family plays the violin. I think it was meant to be heard and that's the reason I'm considering selling it. It has a nice case and two bows as well.
Show us the bows, man! And the case, too. Maybe you are neglecting the important things.
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9 minutes ago, WorksAsIntended said:
Basic law also applys for ebay transactions. Its my fathers daily bread as a lawyer.
With all due respect to your father, you obviously have no idea about the rules which apply in the eBay world. And again: do you claim that "it has been reworked by a professional" is the synonym of "it has been reworked in according to (fill in by yourself) standard"
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2 minutes ago, WorksAsIntended said:
Even in law thats not true. If a statement implies something, even when not directly stated it has to be met or you got a case of misdirection.
I am not talking about the law(s), I am talking about the eBay, on the basis on my few hundreds of transactions and a few dozens of cases resolved for my benefit. eBay is the strange place. Besides, if you claim that "it has been reworked by a professional" is the synonym of "it has been reworked in according to (fill in by yourself) standard" , you are very wrong, even in law.
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My late professor had the very similar violin, talking about two details: the bee stings and the pigment in the pegbox. His violin has been made somewhere in Czechoslovakia's area, in the middle of 1800's
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22 minutes ago, WorksAsIntended said:
I do think that if somebody writes it has been reworked by a professional it does have to be in good working condition if not stated differently
According to the eBay rules, "if somebody writes it has been reworked by a professional", that means that it has been reworked by a professional - nothing more, nothing less. The quality of mentioned reworking is not important at all. If the eBay treated the sellers and the buyers equally, any such a complaint would be rejected. But, the eBay prefers the buyers and any buyer can write negative feedback, even if he has no any valid reason for that. I never sold anything through the eBay and such a politics suits me, but I have to say that it is not fair.
Cheers, Franc
Lubricating the Bow?
in The Pegbox
Posted
Agreed - that's the reason for the use of paraffine wax.