Three13

In the real world, by bidding in the auction, you agreed to the terms of sale. You saw the violin in person and played it before you bid. If you decide to go to court, based upon these facts, it's unlikely that you'll prevail. You will, however, waste far more than £800 worth of your time. You'll also burn your relationship with Bromptons (which you might not value now, but these things change). It's unfortunate that the viola wasn't a good purchase, and it seems like both you and Bromptons missed a significant problem with it. With the way that auctions and the law work, you're going to be left holding the bag. When situations like this crop up for me, I try and see them as tuition.

That looks like Joan Baez's Martin.

Gorgeous.

Thanks!

That much I know - is the same also true of the front, or do you see pinned tops on built-on-back or outside mold violins?

Obviously, there are renegades and inventive sorts everywhere, but I'm looking for the rule, rather than the exception with this question.

What 18th and 19th Century schools pinned both their tops and backs outside of Northern Italy?

Or this:

Most of us can agree that EBay isn't the most reliable place to find a good instrument, but it does yield some marvelous misfits now and again. I thought it might be fun to have a thread where we can post some the weird VSOs that crop up there...

I'd like to hear from someone familiar with Stradivari innards whether they think this piece is, in fact, made by his workshop - the paperwork says that it was removed from a Strad, not that it was original to that violin. On another note, maybe we should pool our money and make dies to produce Boba Fett's rocket...

Speaking as someone who works in a field where almost everything is certified (coins) all I can say is be careful what you wish for.

We were discussing it here: edited to add - Martin pointed out the differences in inking and chamfer on the scroll. I don't think Guerra was branding things in the '20s, the button doesn't have the nicks you'd see if it was what it claims to be, and the way that the purfling sits in the corners (closer to the C bout) makes me think that it's more likely a reworked French trade fiddle. Hopefully I'm wrong and the buyer is enjoying a great score.

I’ve been reading that - the reason I asked about the LOB on the Kögl is that I recently posted a violin that’s reminiscent to it, although it’s short (348-mm) LOB had me thinking it was English.

The OP’s top looks like it was imitating the flat edge On the underside of a Stainer. That Köghl looks familiar - what is the LOB?

This was one such case. I should have quit while I was ahead, though.