Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'violin'.
-
...I think. The Violin at the Amati auction today made 3000 UK pounds, that's $4000 American, $5000 Canadian (3600, 4800, 6000 with buyers premium). I was a disappointed underbidder, but well I stuck to my budget, or who knows where it would have ended! Sadly, no pictures to post, I always think it sad that they vanish from the Amati site as soon as the lot closes. There are some beautiful photos that would be a valuable resource if only we could see them, and would make a valuable addition to the images that we have in the Cozio Archive.
-
I have a Roman Teller violin. The year appears to be 1966 and the model is 40/4. I am trying to get some information on the instrument and a value. Thank you.
-
001-1.1 This thread is about building a violin which doesn't follow a symmetric outline for ergonomic purposes. At the same time the weight was initially kept at the bare minimum to find out in which parts of a violin mass and accompanying stiffness is needed to produce a 'good' sound. 1.2 It was the idea that starting from unconvential patterns and working with a different concept would necessarily and automatically lead to failure. Thus this would have become additional proof to the idea that the violin seen as a concept of classical makers can't be improved. While this seemed to be true at the beginning, it came clear in the continuation of various constructional experiments, that a different construction concept at least seems to be possible. 1.3 As said, it was in the first place not the goal to produce a violin with 'superior' sound characteristics but while experimenting with the violin useful hypothesis were elaborated to link constructional features with various characteristics of the sound. Princples were tested and judged by playing the instrument as well as recording sound spectra for objective comparison. 1.4 Currently this project finds itself at the turning point from being merely experimental. (Andreas Preuss, Tokyo, 2021/5/11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 Though the original introduction of this thread has outlived itself, I believe that the general mindset is still valid. Serious violin making must not always follow already explored paths and even if there is the risk of making something foolish, there is ALWAYS the benefit of learning from unusual experiences. Everything below is the unaltered original text of this thread: 1.6 Here you can follow me constructing the super-light violin. It will be the craziest thing I ever made and please don't take it too seriously. It is the violin maker joke from my workshop. But at least I am serious enough to make it the most professional way I can imagine. So following the footprints of Antonio Stradivari everything starts with a drawing. I decided to throw over board symmetry as well and came up with the funny design below. To save weight the length is only 351mm and all distortions follow the 10 percent rule which means that one f-hole is 10 percent longer than the other.
-
Hi! I am new to this site. I’ve been trying to find out what the line on my viola top plate is called. You can see it in the picture attached under the left f hole. My teacher couldn’t recall what it is called, but he says that good instruments have unique things like this that reinforces certain frequencies and provides better resonance. I don’t know how true that is, but I’d still like to find out what this line is called.
-
I was wondering if you could help me authenticate this instrument, the label says Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume à Paris, 3 rue Demours Ternes. It has strange writing inside, I used a endoscope. I’m thinkining it could be some kind of logo with a name and serial number. Additionally, it has a strange oval drawn in blue ink.
-
Does anyone have some information on this maker? I have a good violin with only this label to go on … google search has a professor of art and music who was into design and woodwork are anymore instruments known or is any reference to his work out there? thank you
-
Hello I have a violin in my hands which says inside Jacobus Stainer in Absam prope Oenipontum 17. Any chance to be genuine and not copy? Thanks.
-
Hi, I'd appreciate to have this violin identified. Especially aproximate date, region and origin, and any other information. Thanks!
-
I know this is such a micro topic, but in terms of different types of wood, such as Ebony, Rosewood and Boxwood, which wood has what characteristics to sound and which is better in general (boxwood in my city costs way more) and also, does a old German peg differ from possibly Indian or Chinese wood? Is it just a matter of seasoning? How do I test the pegs to determine if it is a good peg? My usual method is to gently flick it and hear if the sound is crisp. lastly, is mechanical other still inferior to manual ones in terms of sound? I have heard mechanical pegs makes the sound of the violin sound more artificial and less natural, so is manual pegs still better? Thank you in advance.
-
Can anyone help me briefly evaluate this Guarneri del Gesu copy by British maker Earle Hesketh in 1939? Thank you!
-
Hi, I have a violin whose age and other relevant information I'd like to identify. If possible, I'd like to know whether it is likely to have been manufactured with heavy machinery or manual labor. I suppose the bass bar to be glued in. For that, I bent a paper clip, inserted it into the F-hole and tried to feel the joint of the bass bar to the belly plate. I'm rather positive that it is a 90º perpendicular corner, as opposed to a curved ascent, which - I suppose - would indicate a carved bass bar. If this doesn't sound reliable a method at all, please ignore this paragraph altogether. I am a beginner violin student (2 years in the learning), I bought this violin from a friend of my teacher's, and it is the one I use daily for practice as a hobby. It serves me well and I've had other violin teachers play it and say it sounds rather impressive. IDing is merely for curiosity sake Pics attached. Thank you!
-
I have this bow by a maker named Enrico D’Argenio. I would like to know approx how much is this worth and nationality of this bow. Thank you so much.
-
I bought it recently at a local private dealer for $10000 usd. But it doesn’t have a certificate and its maker is unknown as shown in the signature inside the violin. The dealer only says it is Italian and I thought it sounds unique so I still went ahead and bought it. Can someone help me identify this violin? Thanks.
-
Howdy folks, new to this website. My grandfather was a collector of old instruments, and I've been playing violin since I was a little kid. I own two of his violins, we had them restored so I could play them in highschool. It's been a few years since I've graduated and I'm picking them up again. One was easy to figure out (from the 1880s!), But this one has me perplexed!! I can only find a single google search result for Edward Kreusler, and it's an auction from 2010! I would love to know when this violin was made and/or the history of it's maker, but I can't find anything!! I'm not sure what all was replaced when it was restored. It was restored about 5-6 years ago. Anyone know anything??? Thanks!!
-
Hi! I recently found a neat looking violin at thrift store. It came in a nice plastic hardshell case and with a well worn octagonal silver mounted bow so for $30 i took a chance. Very good condition (no cracks i can find) except for some wear on the fingerboard and some honest playing wear. The label inside says Hermann Todt 1928, after some googling this seems to be a fairly well known maker making quality instruments. I was wondering if someone here could shine some light if this is actually a Hermann Todt or just a common case of a fake label? Also if anyone has some more information regarding which model/maker this fiddle is in the style of, its quality and potential value. Please see the attached images (including the label) and many thanks in advance for your help!
-
I would very much like to share with the world a record that my parents (Lesley Heller and James Burnham) made many years ago. Like so many, I believe they never received the recognition they deserved as first rate violinists. The album includes the Sarasate Navarra, Moszkowski Op. 71 for two violins and piano featuring pianist Mary Louise Vetrano, and Spohr Op. 67 in a minor for two violins. The recording can be found on Spotify here. The album is also available on Amazon and iTunes for purchase, if anyone so desires to support. Thank you
-
Hello, It's been a long time since I asked about a new instrument, but the time has come. This violin has the 4 corner blocks, and the ribs seems to be like a BOB construction, The pegbox run to the end. The edge is rounded and the f holes are well cut ( I think) It has a fire brand in the bottom rib... but I can not read it. The varnish makes me think the violin is revarnished or sanded... it has a lot of craqueleur. What is your opinion? Thank you very much
-
We've set the date of April 21-22, 2023 for our next meeting and maker's competition. It will be held at Wildacres Retreat in western North Carolina just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. 2 full days of presentations and workshops, accommodations on or off site. Check in will be Thursday afternoon, April 19, and check out on Sunday morning, April 23. More details are available at our website landing page http://southernviolinassociation.com If you're interested in receiving our bulletins and updates, send me a personal message and I'll get you onto our database. Thanks.
-
Hi All - I have a violin that was given to me by my Great Aunt, in 1980. I played it until 1995, and then unfortunately it was "lost". It has been found and now I'm interested in learning more about it. I'm wondering if anyone here has some ideas of it's origins. I know we can't always rely on tags, but the tag inside says "Reconstructed by B.F. Phillips & Sons. Cameo Bldg, 5th Floor. Pgh, PA. Aug 1936. E.S.P." B.F. (Benjamin Franklin) Phillips was from Warsaw, Poland. His father and grandfather (last name Filipiak) both were violin makers. BF came to the US around 1905 (name changed to Phillips) and set up shop in Pittsburgh. My research indicates he made approximately 150 violins and he was known for making them from woods recycled from old churches or buildings. BF passed away in 1977, in Pittsburgh. I believe the initials E.S.P. on the tag are that of BF's son Edwin Stanley Phillips. I have not found a lot of information on Edwin, but I did see that BF's other son, Eugene Walter Phillips played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for more than 40 years. I would assume that if this violin were originally constructed by B.F. then the tag would say "made by" rather than "reconstructed". However, I don't know what might be underneath the tag and I won't attempt to look. Assuming the violin was reconstructed by BF's son, I'm wondering about the origins of the violin. The only other information I have: I grew up in the Pittsburgh area. My Great Aunt was active in Pittsburgh orchestras, as was her husband. My aunt was from the Pittsburgh area. She married a man who had recently arrived from Greece. He and his adult siblings came to the US together and all were musicians. I don't know if the violin may have belonged to his family. The violin was given to me with a "Tourte" stamped bow. I KNOW it's not a genuine Torte. I'd love to learn more about it also and can upload pictures too. I have additional photos of the violin also or I can upload pictures of specific areas, if anyone has questions. Thanks so much!
-
I am interested in finding a buyer for a 2006 John Sipe violin. I am not a musician and have no idea how to price this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
-
Good morning. Some time ago I had an old German copy Stradivari violin, which is well made, but all its accessories (pegs, fingerboard, tailpiece) were plastic and of poor quality, in addition to having a poorly adjusted sound post and a poorly made bridge. The sound of the violin was very loud and strident, like an old radio and in my orchestra it was the violin that stood out the most, to the point that my joking companions called it "il cannone". This Christmas an old luthier friend who lives more than 1000km away came to town to spend Christmas with his family and I immediately asked him to adjust my violin. As I mentioned earlier, the violin has a strong, deep sound, but with some small parasitic vibrations that caused it to sound like an old radio blaring, and I blamed this on poor quality accessories and poor sound post setup. and the bridge. He added ebony parts to the pegs, chin rest, tailpiece and fingerboard, since the ones that the instrument had were not original, they were made of poor quality wood painted black, added shortly before I acquired the instrument. The pegs were also painted and poorly adjusted, the tailpiece was plastic. He added an ebony fingerboard that he recycled from a cello fingerboard, ebony pegs set to perfection, a bridge that fully fits the top of the violin, and an ebony tailpiece. When I saw the instrument I was surprised, especially by the fingerboard, which had a tiny and old flame that matches the flame of the violin. When you finally play the instrument notice the change in sound. It still sounded loud, but it no longer had those annoying parasitic vibrations, instead it now sounded round and warm, but the A string did have a decrease in its sound, being very muted compared to the rest of the strings, as if there was something that prevented it from vibrating freely. I talked to my friend and he told me that it could be the position of the sound post, that he hoped to do that job with me so that I could tell him which place seemed best to me, but he couldn't do it because he traveled back He went ahead to his house, for which he gave me the violin with the sound post without my being able to play it before. He added some new pirastro tonic strings, which are nylon wound. Before that he had high tension all metal strings. I don't know what this decrease in sound could be due to, specifically of the A string. I think it may be the excess of ebony parts prevents the violin from vibrating freely, a sound post configuration that does not enhance the A string, the new low-tension nylon strings that do not fully vibrate the instrument or... all of the above together. What do you think?
-
Hello, I would like to ask you for violin identification and other information about this violin. Unfortunately I have no more pictures. Thank you
-
For those who have seen my posts, you already know I'm very new to violin making, but am enthusiastically enjoying the frustration and the challenge. I'm going to pretend my 1st attempt at building a violin doesn't exist, as I would be embarrassed to show the disaster it's turning out to be. We'll call this next one "1a" I guess, and I'm optimistically assuming this one will be better. For this first (non-existent) violin, I built my form based on a photo of the 'Forma PG'. I didn't realize however until after building the rib structure and cutting the outline of the plates, that this photo has the distortions inherent in all photos... never the less, it is and was a tremendous learning experience simply building an instrument... er, if it would have existed. I intend to soldier on until it's complete, before casting it into the fire never to be heard from again. I would actually keep it as a reminder of my venture into the world of violins if it existed. For my next 1(a), I have used the 'Forma P' Frankensteined together with the 'Forma PG', and I've made so many adjustments so many times, for now we'll call it version 3? At some point I just printed it out and used it as I could meddle with things forever. The second is the Strad 'Forma P' sort of "as is". I've taken the forms from the "Forma by Addie" and tweaked them to a degree in Adobe Illustrator. To smooth out the dings and bumps, as well as to tweak the block sizes I guess to something I think might be ok, though I have no idea what a good neck block for example should be. I'm going to call it roughly 60mm X 18mm. Hopefully it will work. I've also squared up the corner blocks, though now I see how angling them could assist in getting the grain direction correct. I've messed up two of the P corner block angles, but I've glued a thin piece of "extra" (broken) rib to straighten things out on one at least. My Frankenmould which I'm calling my A mould, is built using a walnut plywood (roughly 12mm thick or 1/2in), because of course using walnut moulds is I'm sure the secret of Stradivari! I've used double sided tape to stick the printout to the wood before cutting it out, hoping that it will not deform as a wet glue might do, though the plywood isn't as truly flat as I would like. My P mould is made from actual walnut lumber, jointed to produce a handy, permanent centerline. This is roughly 14mm thick, I say roughly because I did the old fashioned hand plane thicknessing from 4/4 dimensional lumber and it's probably not as precise as I would like. For this I taped down the printout, and very carefully scribed the outline with a knife, hoping this will hone my skills for purfling later. It seems I may have trouble with putting in both sets of linings with the thicker form, but I'm sure I can get through it somehow. I've maintained the asymmetries from the forms, as I don't feel qualified to 'fix' Tony Strad's work, and I actually believe them to be purposeful. (I do have some ideas about disproving this wild theory in the future... once I can actually build something worthwhile.) I've already jointed the backs for both instruments, the first (for the P), I may have gone a little thick with the hide glue and there seems to be a bit of a visible glue line. I did also pretreat the joint with hide glue before glueing. I did the same with the second (Frankinmould A) but a slightly better job of it so not the seam like the first. I used my trusty Lie-Nielsen rip saw, which I love and works very well. Though my concerns about the blade width and tonewood dimensions might lead me to try and make my own rip saw for this purpose. For now that would interfere with making progress on my violin(s) so that's a future project. I do have a frame saw, with a presumably thinner blade, but I'm not as confident or comfortable with a frame saw, particularly for book matching expensive tonewood. For these backs I'm still over 20mm thick, and only seemed to lose about 1/8in (3mm) from the sawing, so it's fine. I have my rib wood selected, though I wish they matched more closely the wood from the back and neck... not sure how often tonewood suppliers actually give back, neck and ribs from a single piece of maple. Incidentally I got this particular tonewood (p) from https://www.tonewoodforviolin.com, and for the Frankenmould, from https://www.internationalviolin.com. I do like seeing and selecting the wood from the websites, though I'm not sure I know what to look for. I do prefer a broader, random flame pattern to a tight and consistent one, but I do like both pieces. I didn't measure the density of the back for this project, but will in the future. The tops (not yet jointed) are .38 and .40 respectively. The lighter top has a couple of darker lines along it's length. I'm not overly bothered by this but I wonder if it could be lightened somehow. I've also accumulated more tools than I have found places for, so my bench is more often a disaster than a good working environment, but I'll try to hide the mess from view when sharing photos of my progress. With any luck, I'll at least learn some more lessons about 'what not to do'... and eventually the 'what to do, and how to do it' will be all that's left! Hopefully I don't destroy too much tonewood in the process. This will take a long time as I'm not afforded many opportunities to get in the shop these days, but I truly enjoy the work and hope that I can get to the bench as often as possible. My Frankenmould is attached for those interested... I realized after the fact that I can't cut out the block templates if they're adhered to the mould... Frankenmould-A-v3a.pdf
-
The owner got these two violins from his music professor through different channels. He was surprised to find that the labels on the two violins were the same. Please comment on these two violins, thank you!
-
As I read some conversation here, I found some of the experts can tell if the violin constructed by BOB or inside mould by a just a photo. I wondering how and which part of the violin can tell the method of the construction. Just curious and would love to learn about it. Thanks
