GeorgeH

It looks to me like an average German trade bow that needs the following: - New tip plate (the broken one looks like it is not original and was poorly fitted) ($75-175) - New lapping and thumb pad ($50-175) - Re-hair ($35-75) - Possible re-cambering ($50-125) There maybe a crack forming (or a repaired crack) along the bottom of the frog in back of the ferrel. Was glue already rubbed into the frog? It would be nice to see a picture of the mortice. Personally, I can't tell if the wood is pernambuco or abeille. It looks like pernambuco to me, but, again, I can't tell. If the frog is cracking, then it is not worth repairing. If the rest of the bow is in good shape, it could be worth repairing, particualrly if it is pernambucco. You can have a plastic tip plate installed for less than an ivory or mammoth tip plate. The cost of restoration will depend on who does the work. Where are you located?

I think the owner of this violin died recently, so the estate may be looking for a quick sale. Interesting that they choose Christies to sell it. Regardless, it would make a nice wall-hanger.

Before you mess with the bridge, try a higher tension Goldbrokat E-string, like a 0.27 mm or 0.28 mm.

How much are you bidding?

David Fulton wrote: "The market for rare instruments is tiny. At any given moment, there are, perhaps, a half-dozen individuals and organizations ready and able to purchase a great violin. The set of potential buyers for great violas and cellos is even smaller. It is not a normal market." And: "Auction houses are not usually the best way to sell an instrument. At auction, a great instrument often fetches a fraction of what it would in a private sale. Also, the various fees, premiums, and commissions charged by an auction house can be outrageous. Worse, if an instrument fails to sell at a public auction, it can quash the possibility of selling it in the near future. The logical question potential buyers ask is, 'What's wrong with that fiddle? Why didn't it sell?'"

There are U.S. sellers on eBay who buy authentic individual strings in bulk and then sell them in sets in plastic bags. These are genuine strings. @Brad Dorsey's string is not authentic.

Hello Ssullivan, The people who built your violin from parts did not know or care about how a violin sounded. They were interested in high production numbers. It would be pure chance if it sounded "good," and the odds are against it. Sometimes a violin like yours has had the top taken off and re-carved (re-graduated) to try to improve the sound, but one cannot tell if this has been done to your violin.

Thanks! That is what I expected. The frog is certainly original to the bow; the eyelet is somewhat loose which gives the appearance of a loosely fitted frog. The manufacturing mark on the stick was underneath a dry-rotted leather thumb pad. There was no lapping remaining, but the pad was installed over very tightly-wound strong yellowed thread. The thread seemed too thin to me the remains of the original lapping, but I suppose it probably was. The varnish under thumb pad is the most pristine varnish on the stick. In regards identifying the wood, I have attached close-up picture of the grain at the head and also on the stick where where much of the varnish has worn away in case this might be helpful in identifying the wood.

Hi Michael, if you measured the LOB using tape-over-the-back then it would be longer. In my experience, most LOB measurements are taken with measuring tape instead of calipers, although it is rarely specified what method is used. I view anything with an LOB (tape) above 348mm as full-size.

This is a German silver-mounted bow stamped "Tourte." I know it is a longshot, but can anybody recognize the maker or workshop? Thanks

If it isn't suitable for the dustbin, doesn't that automatically qualify it as above average? In my experience, specialized string instrument dealers in the U.S. don't stock or sell the dustbin-quality Markneukirchen and Mittenwald violins. Those instruments seem to show up more in the inventory of "general" music stores that cater primarily to electric instruments, guitars, and band instruments.

It looks to me that the fluting around the scroll matches the fluting style around the ffs, suggesting that they came from the same hand. I agree with @Blank face that it looks it is from a Mittenwald-trained maker. And, yeah, cool old fiddle.

What is the width at the nut?

All of the above. Regardless of set-up, I find that good synthetic strings lose responsiveness as they wear out and die compared to when they are fresh and broken-in. One of the joys of fresh new strings in re-gaining the violin's innate responsiveness.

Also, the octaves in measures 26-28 are optional. They add some color, but just the top note is fine, too.

Hi Rue, I am very happy that you like this piece. I just love it. It is richly expressive. Thanks for pointing out my typo on the name. I edited the name and also added my current fingering in the post above. The reason I choose the fingering is because I think the first part sounds best when played mostly on the G-string and the second part sounds best of the A and D strings. I think the timbre of the piece sounds better when played like that, and I also think it is a somewhat romantic piece and slides when shifting are really nice in places. I have continued to evolve my fingering (see above) to shorten shifts.

Interesting, and I am curious why you prefer Bovedas to Strettos. I also did not know that they were rechargeable.

And just who are "these people?" More than a little. Strings are expensive, and it is interesting to read about others' experience with different strings sets on their violins. I like Eva Pirazzi's, and suggest trying them.

I use Strettos in all my violin cases. They work great to maintain humidity in cases. I recharge them by soaking in water every 7-14 days depending on the room dryness. (Hint: If they dry out completely, soak them overnight. They will fully re-hydrate.) I also use a Sensorpush gateway and sensors to monitor humidity levels when I am away. None of my cases are airtight. I don't have anything against attractive silk bags, but I can't see how they could possibly work to keep an instrument properly humidified.

It is likely that fiddles put in silk bags was an indication that they were generally looked after better by their owners. I can’t see how one could conclude silk bags were a primary cause of reducing humidity related issues.

The certificate seems to have either disappeared or never been issued. Perhaps the buyer did not pay the invoice in full.

Charles Rudig, the former head of the Musical Instruments Department at Sotheby’s, also says that "These [Duiffopruggar violins] became famous and sought after all over Europe to the point where many different makers in different countries made these." https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/season/4/toronto-on/appraisals/duiffopruggar-style-violin--199906A22/

In case anyone else is interested, here is my transcription for violin of Op. 40, No. 1: "A Moment of Despair" by Mykola Lysenko.

Sometimes they need to check with the consignee.

There is a quality of jewelry to fine bows.