dpappas

I’d buy a del Gesu, and then commission Joseph Curtin or similar to make a copy of it. I’d play both but not risk the Guarneri for travel, etc.

Dear Matt, Thank you for the clarification. It was a beautiful-looking violin.

Was it worked on before or after the photos? The bridge placement and angle is an accident waiting to happen.

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I was less concerned with the specifics to this lot, which none of us can answer, and more of the general conditions that lead to this kind of outcome. Very informative. Martin, I also enjoyed your website immensely and your grading of instrument tone. It was illuminating.

With Guadagnini's now going for seven figures in some cases (the new "poor man's" strad), I can see a Foundation scooping this up or even an investor. The seller could have gotten a private offer that exceeded the fees at Tarisio, or the auction house itself could have facilitated the private sale as a better deal for themselves. I assume it's financial only. A seller like Tarisio, making this a centerpiece auction sale, would have had their ducks in a row with respect to the authenticity and provenance.

The violin had a $1M bid and then was withdrawn. I wonder if it was for a private sale, or a sudden question of authenticity, or maybe the seller wanted more than a million and only one bidder took the bait (unless more bids rolled in after I checked). That Guadagnini was the centerpiece of the auction, I was surprised to see the lot withdrawn. Thoughts?

This is what simon fischer calls "fast fingering" for chromatics. it's what I use. 012-1234 for G-A strings, and then 0123-123-123... all the way up the E.

Not necessarily. My point is that violins and their accessories are expensive. The strings would follow suit. Guitars as a whole are on a lower price point.

I think the technical demands--both manufacturing and sound production--are higher for violin strings. Also, there's a simple economic factor. Violins cost thousands on the low end for something playable up to millions for some antiques. Cases cost hundreds up to 2000-ish for very high end. Bows? Anywhere from 100-100,000 USD, of course that range is huge. My shoulder rest cost me $300. It's an expensive endeavor. I am a hobbyist and I am carrying about 7k of gear in my case, what's $109 for a set of Rondo strings? I think our scales are different. I play guitar as well and when I see $20 strings I'm outraged at how much they cost. But I plunk down 5X that for violin strings without a second thought.

With all the discussion on selling violins (which has been fascinating, by the way), I would encourage the OP to post a link to some pictures of his work. You never know if someone is curious enough to contact you.

Nathan, https://mberg-music.com/ENG/feinstimmer.html I got mine from Connolly Music but they are sold out. A quick google search revealed a few other sources, like Fisher Violins. I wanted to add that there is a lot of internet puffery about how the mberg tuner is more resonant or somehow amplifies the tone. I don't buy it at all. It does, however, have an outstanding design and smooth operation, so I recommend it on mechanics alone without magical claims that it improves sound. Dimitri

What is the best is subjective. That being said, I am very happy with my mberg titanium fine tuner. It was expensive (about $30 USD) but works well. Your mileage may vary.

I suspect that David is right, that they are using recently-cut trees from other industries, while also planting new ones for a longer-term investment in the supply (and ecological impact).

I am bow shopping and one of my two top pics may have end grain runout. I’m attaching photos that I hope show the grain. Is this a concern? the are both Arcos Brazil. The more expensive one has the dubious grain. thanks!

This guy seems like a snake oil salesman. Something about his videos give me the creeps.