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Showing results for tags 'Violin'.
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Sanctus Seraphin 1752? A old lady is lending this violin to me. She does know much about it, just that it came from her father. It needs a new bridge and a soundpost, so it is hard to tell how it sounds right now. Te label says something like: Sanctus Seraphin Utinensis fecit 1752 From what I read online, it looks like a french copy from the 19th century. But I do not understand much about it. It is interesting that looks like the original scroll was baroque and they changed it. What do you think? All the pictures are here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0hwq27r4ak5x6eo/HjSwgxjBVv Thank you for any insight!
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Hi there, Can someone perhaps offer their opinions on this violin? It came with a beautiful leather case which I will post pictures of tomorrow. In the case was a paper which shows a diagram of the interior of the violin. This paper was written and drawn by the last person who repaired it. On this paper, it says Violin made October 26, 1823. It also says Repaired July 23 1839. It also says "Taken to pieces by Wheatley", and with a signature, and dated Nov 29 1834. This is all written inside the violin aswell apparently. The diagram shows where it is written on the interior. About the violin: Lovely 1 piece maple back Grafted scroll (You can zoom in on the pictures to see the graft line. Nail in the button, and below the button (where the neck block is) Ebony fingerboard Inlaid Purfling Varnish worn/gone where your palm would be when playing up in high positions On the inside are a few cleats running along cracks, aswell as a soundpost patch. Any idea where this was made, if the date is legit, and what its value would be once repaired? Also can a specific model be identified on which it has been made? It has no label unfortunately, but as I mentioned above it says Violin made October 26 1823 on the inside. Here are some pictures. Feel free to request more (a specific angle) I also apologize for the blurryness on some photos, I took these pictures in a hurry. Thank You.
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Hi everyone, in 70s decade my grandfather has given his old german violin to my father. Im looking forward to sell it but I have no idea the price of it. Inside is written G&A Klemm, William Schuster, 1795, Eukirchen, Saxonia. Do you guys have any idea how much it costs? Thanky you very much, Ren
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Hi there, I recently purchased a nice looking violin ebay for a small sum of money. I was wondering if anybody out there could help me with its possible origin and value. It is a stainer copy and has no cracks. Here is a link for photos: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161133787280?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
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Any information about violin and maker would be big help for me, becouse I couldn't found anything on internet. I have this violin and i'm interested in what would her sound be. But i can't decide is it worth spend money on repair. Any gues where i could repaire this violin? Could anybody tell me what model is this violin, also I'm not shure about nack? Is it original? Text on label: tar jozsef hegedu keszito keszthel http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508835156/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508831065/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508865564/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508828375/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508825485/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10508857934/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cepulic/10509034993/in/photostream/
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Hello Everyone firstly i am new to this forum so i apologise if this is in the wrong place i recently came across these two antique Violin Bows, one is a Tourte branded one which i showed to some freinds and they thought it was of a very good quality. it measures 67.5cms long and it weighs 50grams including hair and grip which i understand is very light for a bow, it is also octagonal all the way down the shaft if anyone could help me ID this that would be great the other one is a round shaft non branded bow which measures approx 72cms long and weighs 56 grams Tourte 1 Tourte 2 unmarked 1 unmarked 2 thanks in advance steven
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I was wondering if anybody has tried the new Larsen Virtuoso Strings for Violin yet. I had 2 people ask me about them. Thanks
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Hi everyone, I've been missing for quite a while. Hope all is well. I've written a short story about a luthier and thought I'd share some violin descriptions. I learned a lot while hanging out on the Pegbox forum and dreaming about making a violin. Since I never did do anything but make a mold, I figured I could write about it. The first one is called Angel's Breath: “She’s called Angel’s Breath.” He held the violin in front of the dim firelight and turned it to show her the back. Fiery, translucent stripes leapt off the deeply curled maple. Her fingers tingled to touch. She inhaled the resiny scent of varnish and admired the flawless handiwork, the slight corduroy effect on the spruce... Lady Amati. Under the Maestro's Hand (A Violin Erotica Short Story) (Kindle Locations 28-30). The second one is called Kitchen Maid: It was badly scarred, dented, dark brown and scuffed. A corner was chipped, and a crack ran from the shoulder to the top of the right f-hole. Salty grey tear marks streaked over the belly. The wood was warm to the touch, not shiny, but matte, like well-worn leather. She turned it over. Grime, the color of coffee grounds, covered the back, partially obscuring the pinwheels of birdseye maple. Lady Amati. Under the Maestro's Hand (A Violin Erotica Short Story) (Kindle Locations 55-58). --- If you're interested in the ebook it's available at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Sony ebookstore. Warning: the writing is risque and for ages 18+ I'm also writing regular novels under my penname Rachelle Ayala and you can find me at http://www.rachelleayala.com --- Let me know what you think about my short story, or if it's too embarrassing, at least let me know what you thought about the violin parts.
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Hi there, This is my most recent violin I aquired. It is a Joseph Guarnerius copy. The label has the normal Joseph Guarnerius label inside, nothing special. On the back of the scroll, it says "Artist Violin Guarnerius". From a bit of googling, it seems these violins were made in Lowendall's workshop, along with the Imperial violins. So I'll assume this is a German violin. The fingerboard, at the bottom is oddly shaped, and Ive seen this on Imperial violins before on ebay. About the violin, it is in very good condition. Only a minor crack at the right side of the saddle, and also a minor crack at the top. It was very dirty when I got it, lots of built up dirt and rosin over the years that was never cleaned I suppose. Will add a picture of that aswell. When I opened the violin to repair the cracks, I saw the violin top was smoothly scraped. No gouge marks, or unfinished areas. The bass bar is also glued in, not carved in like almost all the other German violins that Ive repaired this far, and the bar is also at the right angle. The violin has 4 real corner blocks. The sound of this violin is absolutely amazing. Much better than I expected when buying it. It is warm, loud (but not harsh), and the G string is very viola-like. Its an absolute joy to play, which is why I decided to use this as my main violin. Before this I used a German Francesco Ruggieri trade violin. 1. Can someone perhaps shed some light on the resale value of this violin, aswell as the value for insurance purposes? 2. One thing that is a bit different from my previous violin, the neck seems to be a bit thick, top to bottom. Would it be right to thin it down a bit? Will it affect the value, if done properly? PS. The violin seem to have had geared pegs in the past, looking at the little holes on the pegbox. The Peg holes are also very large, so you might notice the pegs dont fit properly. I ordered the peg hole bushings, so I'll fix that as soon as it arrives. PPS. The bow that came with the violin, is quite different from what Ive seen. It doesnt seem to be made of wood, but rather some sort of metal or something. It is stamped "Heddon" and what seems to say "USA" underneath to the right side. Anyone have any experience with these bows? Are they worth re-hairing, and fixing? What are the value of these?] Also, if anyone is interested, it is stringed up with Pirastro's Evah Pirazzi Gold, with the Silver G string. This was my first time buying these strings (usually go with dominant with Gold Label e Pirastro), and I love these Pirastro strings. Here are some photos. Thank You.
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Hi there, Im currently repairing a nice German violin, and I noticed the bass bar measurements (From the center line to the side closest to the center line) differs with 8mm. Measuring from the center line to the closest side of the bass bar, it measures: Upper = 10 mm, lower = 19 mm. Is there a specific reason for a bass bar to be like this, and not parallel with the center line? Does this have a big impact on the sound? The top is also pretty stiff, not too flexible. The bass bar is NOT carved into the top, like some cheaper German/Czech violins are. Thank You.
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Hi, I recently bought another violin on Ebay for a cheap price, to practice on. The violin has a crack on top, right through top to bottom. Interestingly enough, the top is one-piece spruce, so its not the center seam that seperated. Quite a bit I can learn from repairing this. Someone seem to have painted over the crack, in an attempt to disguise it, and because the repair doesnt seem good. Dont know what glue they were using, but it is black and plastic-like. Can someone maybe suggest something I can try to use to remove the paint? If there is still varnish left underneath the paint, I'd like to try to keep as much of it as possible, otherwise I'll just touch it up again. Im attaching a photo aswell. Thank You.
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/111132191230?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661 "Interesting" price, terrible condition... Can someone identify the country of origin for this violin?
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Hello all ! At first let me introduce myslef a little bit.My name is Dominik and I am 17 years old.I am from Czech Republic.I am completely new to this forum as well as in the violin making.I have just finished my first violin which is horribly looking but was a good experience to get used with tools etc... I am about to build a new one,very unusually shaped.So my question is-does anybody have any experiences with making violin as shown in the pictures ? Are the dimensions same as for standard violin (height,widht,...) ? How can I find out the f-holes position ? Thank you for your help ! Dominik https://plus.google.com/photos/113794214473150063463/albums/5907133575970638929/5907133573976532898?banner=pwa&pid=5907133573976532898&oid=113794214473150063463
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I'm a pianist but had a re-invigorated interest in the violin (which I studied with Stuart Canin at Oberlin) when I extracted my 1799 Horenstainer from a closet of keyboards.(I'd moved from the Central Valley to Berkeley) So I took the fiddle to Ifshin's in El Cerrito for a re-stringing and bow re-hairing, impressed with a cosmos of instrument making, repair, and restoration. When I returned to pick up my bow, I wandered into a No Enter zone (at least it was restricted the first time I set foot in Ifshin's) and serendipitously settled into an impromptu conversation with Haide Lin, violin-maker. (Canton, China) He had partnered with Jay for the signature Jay Haide violin. (and other members of the string family) Since I'm always blogging ad nausea about pianos, I decided this was a rare op to devote attention to the violin. The journey amassed lot of photos as well. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/haide-lin-the-cultural-revolution-and-violin-making-but-dont-forget-the-piano/ There's a link at the bottom of the above blog, to my first Ifshin's visit before fetching my bow. Jay Ifshin is an inveterate violin theme Poster collector.. It's a museum over there. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/my-journey-to-ifshins-in-el-cerrito-where-violins-unlike-pianos-are-thriving/ glad to be on this forum ..
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Dear friends, we are just finishing the development of a totally different, revolutionary E string. Your assistance would be appreciated. Do you use the E string afterlength, which would be beyond following ranges? (Except of integrated tuners tailpiece setup) 34 - 44 mm (1.34" - 1.73") for ball end type 45 - 60 mm (1.77" - 2.36") for loop end type Thanks, Bohdan
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Hi there. Ive been trying to find out a bit more about the Imperial line of violins. From what I could find, there are 2 different lines of these. One being German, and one being Japanese. Imperial violins have the flat shield-shaped piece of wood on the back of the scroll, with the words Imperial Violin written on. My question is, how do you tell the 2 types apart? How do I know if it is German, or Japanese. Ive seen a few pictures online, found about 3-4 Imperial Violins on Ebay in about 2 years, but I cannot seem to find anything consistant to it. A friend of mine has a Imperial violin, and what a lovely violin that is!!! It's sound is completely different from any other trade violin that Ive played on. Very loud (not in a bad way), warm, open with that "Old" wood sound to it, and it is extremely responsive. You hardly even have to touch the strings for it to make a lovely sound. Unfortunately I only have one crappy picture of it (Which I will post below), but I can describe it a bit more. 1. the violin has been revarnished (Terrible, I know, If only I knew what it looked like before it had been done!) 2. the purfling is VERY close to the edges. Much closer than usual. 3. the neck is much thinner, and the violin seems to be smaller aswell. Not 7/8 small, but a smaller 4/4 scale violin. 4. the label says Antonius Stradiuarius etc etc (The usual), and then underneath Made in Germany. This is what Im wondering about. Non of the other 4 imperial violins I saw online had the name of the place where it was made written on the label. 5. The violin has, on the back of the scroll, that shield piece, with a star-like logo, and written on Imperial Violin. 6. It is a lovely flamed one-piece back. 7. On the scroll it doesnt say the model it is based on, like some others Ive seen. Now what I meant earlier about not finding consistant things to these violins, is that some of the imperial violins Ive seen says on the back of the scroll what model it is. For instance: Imperal Violin Amati. or Imperial Violin Stradivarius. Only in this one case (My friend's violin), does it have the star on the scroll. Ive seen one other violin on Ebay that had the Star/sun shape on the button of the violin, and read about someone who says they also have that on their Imperial violin. One of the pictures Ive attached below says Lowendall Imperial violin. From what I read, they were made at his shop or sold by him or something. Again, inconsistant to other pictures ive found, since only this one says Lowendall Imperial Violin. Does someone perhaps have anymore info on these Imperial Violins? I read a few years back they usually either sound great, or terrible. No middle ground. Also about the purfling being so close to the edges that it seems to almost "jump" off. This is an ebay auction that ended today for a imperial violin. I wanted to buy it, but the seller didnt respond to my shipping cost question.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/IMPERIAL-ANTIQUE-VINTAGE-VIOLIN-23-5-STRING-MUSICAL-INSTRUMENT-/321162156569?ViewItem=&ssPageName=ADME%3AX%3AAAQ%3AUS%3A1123&item=321162156569&nma=true&si=yU3KHiltiFvT3XOMmkiACl67zvQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (on the 5th picture, look at the button to see the sun-shaped carving) Below I will attach some pictures I found online, aswell as the one my friend plays. Again, sorry I dont have a better picture. The first one is the one that my friend plays. Only the first picture. Notice the purfling. Thank You for reading.
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Hi there, What is the proper polish/cleaning substance to use for cleaning old violins? Many violins that Ive seen has built up rosin, built up dirt, etc. that would never come off without using some sort of liquid. Ive read some people say using linseed oil, others say your own spit. I also know there are a few violin polishes on the market, but from what Ive read people say that should be avoided mostly. What Ive mostly come across is people saying the best polish is the one that you don't use. (Not that that is at all helpful, in such a case as this.) I know to clean the rosin dust off the violin after each practice session, but what I'm specifically referring to here is cleaning an old violin that hasn't been used for a long time. So what do you use to clean such a violin? Also, I'm mostly referring to a violin that has oil varnish, but would like to know what is used on a violin that has spirit varnish as well. Thank You.
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Hi, This is a topic that might have been discussed before, if so, sorry for that. My question is: Why do most modern violinists prefer to use old violins, such as Stradivari, Guarneri, Guadagnini, Vuillaume, etc for solo performances? It seems every time I do a google search on soloists, almost all of them uses old instruments. To make a short list of some of the players: Anne Akiko Meyers - Owns 2 Stradivarius violins and has a Guarneri on lifetime loan. Joshua Bell - Played a Stradivarius, sold it to buy another strad. Vanessa Mae - Guadagnini (When she's not playing her electric violin) David Garett - Stradivarius, and Guadagnini I believe Andre Rieu - Stradivarius Corina Belcea - Stradivarius Itzhak Perlman - Stradivarius Maxim Vengarov - Stradivarius Julia Fischer - Used to play a Stradivarius, now plays a Guadagnini Sarah Chang - Guarneri Hilary Hahn - Vuillaume This is just to name a few. The list can go on, and if you'd like to add more, just comment below and I will add them to the list. But anyway, I know many people say that these violins have a unique sound and are much better than modern instruments, but I read a while back about that blind test that was done, and that players couldnt tell the difference between old and new violins. Some even preferred the new violins. Here is the link: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/02/violinists-cant-tell-the-difference-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/#.UcmBq3m_yM8 So why do modern soloists still choose the old violins, when they can get a modern violin (Which is apparently the same in sound if well made) for cheaper, and easier? Is it just a "Label" thing? Where the brand of the violin they play give more reputation? Personally, Ive been able to tell the sound apart from a Stradivarius violin compared to a modern violin on some of those online "tests", but that doesnt really mean anything. Also heard Joshua Bell live, and the sound of his violin compared to the orchestra's was a HUGE difference. You could tell the Strad away from a mile. But then again, it was a university orchestra, with violinists who dont have some of the best modern violins. Also, which soloists that you know of, actually use Modern violins? And by who were those made? So to summarize the questions: Why do soloists prefer old instruments, if it was proven in a blind test that there are no difference to well made modern violins, and which soloists uses modern violins? And by who were those made? Thanx for reading.
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I'm lend for a week a new student violin to try and if I like it, I would buy it for 375 € ($491). I'm very happy with its sound and probably would end buying, but would appreciate any comments given. The seller told me the violin is bulgarian, no labels inside and fully blocked. Here are some pictures:
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Hey guys! I have an old trade instrument that I'm cutting my repair teeth on (don't worry, it was long gone as a functional instrument when it got to me). One of the things I'd like to do is to repair a couple of deep gouges on the exterior o the top plate. In some places, the gouge is about 1 mm deep and covers a surface area about the same size as a quarter. I was thinking that I could sand the area down and patch it, like one would do to make a soundpost patch on the interior of the top plate. But, before I did that, I wanted to ask if there is any existing, accepted method for an exterior gouge repair? Or does anyone have some war stories they'd be willing to share? Thanks in advance, guys! -Sarah
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Hi there, I made some varnish a while ago by using a recipe that I found online, to be more specific, it was a pdf file on Thestrad. The link unfortunately doesnt work anymore so linking it here wont help. Anyways, the recipe contains pine resin, linseed oil, and aloe powder. It said the varnish can be thinned with Gum turpentine to the desired consistancy afterwards. My question is, what sort of gum turpentine would be needed for this? If this is anything like linseed oil, there is so much different types which makes it hard to know which would be usable in varnish. Would I need 100% pure gum turpentine? I found 2 examples of gum turpentine on Ebay that can ship to where I live, can someone please tell me if this might work? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Turpentine-Gum-Therapeutic-Grade-100-ml-3-4-oz-Skipidar-All-Natural-/110992150787?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d7a5d103#shId http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mylands-Pure-Gum-Turpentine-1-Litre-/190731553366?ssPageName=ADME:X:eRTM:GB:1123 Thank You. If anyone is interested, I still have the PDF saved, so I can provide the full recipe here.
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I always had wandered about these "fiddles" with filed edges as to the reason this modification was done. Is there a rhyme or reason for that aside from the possibility of practical application in carrying such instruments in bags. They look kind of cool and somewhat generic, like this one. How do they sound?
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Hi there. First of all, I live in the Western-Cape of South-Africa, and the only violins that being sold here by music shops is cheap chinese violins, or like some people like to call them, VSO's (Violin-sounding objects). I'm currently learning violin restoration by myself, (so much easier with all the resources available on the internet, and since there are no violin making schools in SA). So here is my question. I want to try to introduce better, yet affordable violins to the many, many violin beginners that I hear of over here every day. I sell old violins that I buy/repair already, but beginners aren't looking for that. I always hear my violin teacher saying how kids struggle to get even a decent sound out of the violins (The VSO's), or even a decent volume, and believe me, Ive played on some of those violins and it is indeed true. Now I know people might say "a bad worksman blames his tools" but with better tools, a worksman can do much better work. So what I want to do, is buy white violins, that are available on Ebay for example. I know you can buy better white violins at other places, but I have to keep this affordable for beginning players. What I plan on doing then is maybe do some final scraping/thinning of the plates if that was done poorly, do a proper set-up, and apply some varnish that is not so thick that a spear wont even be able to penetrate it. Have anyone tried this yet? What sound quality can I expect from these violins then? Will there be enough of a difference that people will buy these, rather than cheap violins at music shops? Here is a link to one violin, for example, http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEGINNER-MAKE-A-VIOLIN-WOOD-PROJECT-KIT-with-ebony-pegs-/200916112585?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2ec78894c9 Thank You for taking time to read. Hope to hear from you guys soon. -Kallie
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Hello, I recently acquired a violin with a somewhat unusual case. The case is solid wood, with metal (?) latches. The ball feet are made of wood, too. The inside is quite nice, given the age. It is lined with a green fabric (velvet?). Before creating an account, I would sometimes lurk in here. I wanted, especially, the input of GlennYorkPA. I've read some of his posts regarding violin cases. (I haven't read his book, yet. Sorry! ) I would be glad to hear information from anyone! I have taken many pictures. So, I created a photo album under my SkyDrive. Here is the link: http://sdrv.ms/119w8E4 Furthermore, I have pictures of the violin and the bow. I'd be happy to hear any information (history, maker, repair estimates, etc.) about those, as well. Thank you for your help! - Totti
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