Another Baroque'n violin

[tbloemer]

Okay here goes.....another newby to chew on. I saw a previous thread, I guess it was by "Randy" on a violin that he presumed was fashioned in a baroque manor. I just recently aquired an old violin and thought it to possess alot of baroque qualities. It has a wide fingerboard made of maple, the same maple the neck is made from, a roughly carved scroll (lots of chisle marking on it), a really unique perfling that is accented around the edges of the top and back, the raised perfling is almost the edge, a raised ridge. And a peculiar c-bout accent on the back, which is not a clap dent or scar but a raised accent carved to accent the bout. The varnish is satiny to the touch and what I would call "soft". The fholes are blackened on the inside. I'm going to take a few pictures and post them on my aol space. I don't know how to post a link so I'll post the appropriate address for you to look at the pics after I have them in place. Any thoughts or comments are welcome....you can tell me just how big a piece of german junk I have...hehehe, and NO! I did not buy it on ebay. I would not want the wrath of the anti-ebayers to decend upon me. But seriously, I would like to know more about this violin. It has a wonderful tone, and is a joy to play. I would also be happy to email pictures. Anyway I thought it might be of interest, Thanks in advance for your input.

Tom

[tbloemer]

Ok...here is the address for the pictures:

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/front.jpg

after the tbloemer/ add one of the following new file names for each new picture, they are:

back.jpg

side.jpg

scroll.jpg

neck.jpg

cbout.jpg

fhole.jpg

let me know if you have any trouble with these and I'll be glad to email the pic's to you. Again thanks for the input.

Tom

[tbloemer]

Alright I'm learning, the link thingy worked just fine so I'm gonna put the rest in here:

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/back.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/side.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/scroll.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/neck.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/cbout.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/fhole.jpg

[Michael Darnton]

AAAAggg. You cut the neck off just where it was getting interesting. Since you've got the digital photo thing downpat, how about a side view showing the fingerboard in its whole length? The violin isn't particularly distinguished, but the condition seems good and what's visible of the board looks interesting.

[tbloemer]

Thanks for the reply Michael, I hope these help, let me know if you'd like more pic's of specific areas of the violin. here are two more links.

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/neckside.jpg

http://members.aol.com/tbloemer/finger.jpg

[steveg]

Your fingerboard is stained rosewood veneer over pine. Which is very common in turn of the century factory fiddles.

The Stain has worn off.

Also, judging by the depth of the neck mortice, overstand, and lack of a scroll graft or heel graft, it is safe to say that your instrument is not from the baroque period.

[tbloemer]

Thanks for your reply steve.....actually the fingerboard is solid maple that has been stained and the stain worn off over time (not a veneer). I know that the violin is not baroque. I just find it interesting that it was made in this fashion as late as it was. The violin carries an old strad 1736 label, so the manufacturer was well after that date, and with the chisle marks and other sanding marks etc. I'd also go out on a limb and say its handmade, without a doubt.

[Michael Darnton]

Shoot--what I thought was developing into an interesting board just turned into a really fat one :-(

[tbloemer]

I should also add that the label inside, I'm pretty sure, is not the original label.....if it ever really had one. The edges of the label inside are torn and tattered. It seems as if someone tore it out of another violin and glued into this one. Very strange.....thus the mystery continues.

[tbloemer]

Thanks again for your assistance Steve.....I'll get the flash light out and try to get as much info as possible on the inards of the violin and post back this afternoon.....

[tbloemer]

Hehehehehehe....the wifes gonna kill me when she finds out I dismantled her makeup compact to come up with a mirror small enough to fit through the fholes. Oh well, here's what I could make out with limited inspection equipment.

1. I could only see the lower part of the cbouts, but there where no corner blocks on the lower corners.

2. It looks like a spruce neck block at the top.

3. The underside of the table was rough, gouge marks evident.

4. A thin base bar that seemed to be inlayed into the top. Like a shallow slot had been carved for it and it is somehow dovetailed or slid into a slot. No glue was evident. Strange.

[steveg]

Hey Mike D.

Do you want to tell him what he has, or should I?

[tbloemer]

I think I covered what it was in the very first post...heheehheeee

[steveg]

Yes your scroll and the rest of the instrument were hand made, it's the quality of construction that is the determining factor. Your violin looks good, nice varnish, nice shape, good purfling.

But lets find out whats on the inside.

Take a small flashlite and illuminate the inside of the instruement.

Are there 4 corner blocks ?

Look through the end pin hole, is there a top block ? or are the ribs morticed into an extended neck heel ?

Look at the under side of the table, is the table finished, or are there gouge marks in it ?

Is the bass bar glued in, or carved as part of the table ?