Strad O Various Jr.

Its nickel, looks like brazilwood too.

No clamps to glue in the bass bar, that's insane. I have heard that some of these Chinese factories have a show factory set up just for tourists, where the real mass producing workshops is strictly off camera.

Anyone would think that there is a shortage of violins that the Chinese are valiantly coming to the rescue on, by mass producing cheap fiddles, as if we don't have enough already!!

Well then compare Low grade German to low grade Chinese, they start at about $30 with bow and case, that's about equivalent to a garbage German with crude carving inside. And Jay Haides do not compare to good Roths, no.

It all depends on which Saxon you're comparing to, if you're talking about a good 20s EH Roth, there are hardly any Chinese instruments that can compete

So why aren't the Chinese violins any better than the corresponding Dutzenarbeit??

The German could be crude in appearance, but I think the makers understood tone better than the Chinese factory workers, the lowest grade of Dutzenarbeit would be more analogous to the $100 Chinese violins and comparing them I still think the German ones sounded better. Modern Chinese violins are closer in appearance to factory produced German of the 50s-70s, and the Chinese models are superior to most of these.

It appears the bottom block has split in half, this will require major surgery and removing the top, I'd ask for your money back

If the neck angle is low enough, you could set them up as low budget baroque with a wedged fingerboard and baroque style tailpiece, gut strings etc, I have had violins from Klingenthal, of almost this low a quality, that still sounded half decent with gut strings.

I don't think it really has any value in its present condition, its value would be the costs involved in restoring it.

Yes, when I said before 1840 I was referring to necks glued onto the ribs, not set into the blocks

rubbish, there is no such thing as a Dutzenarbeit with a screwed on neck, and no such thing as a screwed on neck after about 1840 at the latest, I think some people are just jealous that you found a great violin, and have to try their hardest to tear it apart.

I see 1811 pretty clearly, plus that is the area on the label one would expect to see the date.

bottom right corner

The label says 1811, doesn't it??