Guido

Apart form the button, which was probably ripped out when the duck tried to escape at some point, I'd be more interested in the status of the sound post crack, which in best ebay practice, finds no mention, no matter the seller being a professional (outside of ebay).

I would say you need to do a sound post patch

Having said all this your pegs may well be original and do look exceedingly British...

Discussion: https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/346817-id-violin-english-scottish/ You need to work on you search skills.... if you search Maestonet for "neck" AND "screw" and care to look through the search results you'll find a handful of violins with your neck attachment. There was also a similar neck attachment using a wooden dowel in place of the screw which may well have been a precursor to the way the screw is used in your violin. The use of the dowel is discussed in "The British Violin" and associated with a circle of makers. BTW, the shape of the upper and lower blocks is also typical for British violins of the time including the grain orientation, which you may have noticed is different from most violins you would have seen ;-)

Teaser:

I found it necessary a couple of times to make a new bridge after a top removal, but one should have some control over it, as elaborated above. On one occasion though it appear the arching "relaxed" when the top was off, got a little flatter, resulting in both a shorter sound post and a higher bridge.

It’s a vuillaume model bow, cheap German trade version though. considering the head damage and other things that definitely need doing probably not worth it, I.e. worth less than zero in current condition.

P.S.: Looks like you removed some photos including the one that shows the neck attachment.

Well done. As I said before, I'd look towards England given the neck attachment.

I understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, shopping for a violin is difficult because our modern day strategies of online research, comparing features and properties, and finding the best value for money offer, are not really applicable to violins. There is no google-top-10-list of vintage violins to buy in 2022. You seem to come around to the idea that labels have very little meaning and "one of these..." doesn't carry the same connotation as when referring to the make and model of a car. You have two options. You can become an expert yourself (not realistic) or you can live with a huge information asymmetry between seller and buyer. Your best hope is to find a seller who you will trust and believe that they want what is good for you. Music shops and retailers are very sales oriented, obviously. A violin maker/ luthier might be a better idea. Ask around for recommendations, find the person first, then find the violin. One thing you might be able to find, if you are lucky, is a trade-in policy. Some vendors offer to take the violin back at full price (provided it is still in the same condition), when you upgrade. In one of these situations you would give your child the opportunity to grow and help make informed decision the next couple of times around. No need to buy the forever violin just yet.

My impression from the first pictures was Romanian, based on varnish, scroll and edgework. The second set of pictures gives a very different appearance of the varnish. I think the inadequate pictures may have been more helpful in this case than the second set :-)

Oh look, it's playable, with a professional set-up.

P.S.: The fact that you have obviously not been advised about this is of some concern.

No it's not. The picture shows the sound post sit on a big patch in the back. This is not necessarily a deal breaker but in any case a massive de-valuation. I hope it was reflected in your purchase.

That’s an interesting observation. Apparently many old Mittenwald violins have original fake Stainer labels.

Obviously not Stainer but late 18th century might be right. I think I see a one-piece lower rib with a “Mittenwald notch”, which is not exclusive to Mittenwald. The paper strip along the back centre seam, if original, could point to Vienna. To be confirmed by linings let into blocks the violin looks like Mittenwald/ Vienna/ Prague or somewhere in between.

An more general; do you think it might be a linear function of age? I.e. if 90% of 300 year old violins had a sound post crack, a linear development would be a probability of 3% for every ten years. That would be 60% of instruments 200 years old and 30% of instruments 100 years old. Seems to me the probability for younger instruments would be a bit on the high side, maybe it's not linear?

Mutilated, and can't be sold in any other way but ebay. The very low projection probably requires a neck re-set. Not worth it even if you get it for free. BTW, every violin is Italian in the sense that Andrea Amati is generally credited with its invention in its current form.

Looks like rather typical ebay-work, down to the $1-incl-postage set of strings. The low projection might be a worry.

alcohol spill from a night at the pub. Fix; more alcohol :-) (Just as another idea, first guess would be heat, too)

@Rue et al. I quickly looked through my box of old tailpieces and pulled out three bakelite examples. See photos. Looks like bakelite tailpiece might be desirable, but she probably doesn't play the violin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHkNxR1p24A The one in the picture that is branded was originally mounted on a 1947 West German violin. In the early days, plastic was all the rage of course, and bakelite has some particular acoustical properties (whatever that is). So, I don't know it those tailpieces where "cheap" (as would probably our modern day first guess) or extra cool and expensive in their day :-) Anyways, if someone knows more about bakelite tailpieces and is still alive, please chime in.

Sure, Strads might on average be thinner than other violins of the same age, but possibly also better looked after. I guess the proportion of violins with sound post crack will mostly be a function of their age (bracket) though. Maybe it's 5-10% for every 50 years of age. Something like that, just plucking numbers out of thin air. I was just picking on Strads because they are a well observed universe. If you have a more general answer to the sound post crack probability as a function of age I won't be fussed about Strads. I don't have all that many Strads anyways.

Not talking to the violin but general observations: - It is quite unlikely for Italian violins to end up unlabelled. Not impossible, but unlikely. - The number 1 in the date is written in American, not European style. Noting is impossible but its an indication. - I think the signature and date may well belong together and may present your strongest hope for an ID. I would look through the names of American makers active at the time and maybe some name clicks with the signature.

Given how well documented and studied these are... did anybody ever come up with a figure of what share of Strads has a sound post crack to the top? I would guess its more the half...? Just curious.

In China, violin making of volume started in the 1970s, and for all intents and purposes nothing but crap was produced during the 70s and 80s. Privatisation of violin making factories in the early 90s changed the trajectory and led to ongoing improvements... The OP violin is too old to be Chinese. The chinrest and tailpiece are Chinese but were jut put on this week ;-) And according to the previous owner it has been stored/ unused for some decades (not that anything a previous owner says should be taken too seriously, but it was a credible scenario).