How Good Is My Amati Copy?

[Fellow]

Hi all,

I have a violin modelled after Amati. Here is a pic.

How good (accurate) is my copy (compared with the one in museum)? I trust your eyes.

The f-hole is exactly like in the textbook (titled violin). Rib is kind of tall.

The maker had the idea what an Amati was supposed to be. It is about 80 years old.

Pic of f-holes one is Amati, one is Guarneri. Can you tell which is which? Thank you.

[iburkard]

Without looking at the original (Which Amati? Assume it looks nothing like one...), there are other basic issues. The edge work looks flat, and the purfling is very far away from the edge of the plate. The varnish seems very commercial.

The saddle needs some attention (and saddle cracks), is it glued in backwards... looks very high/crude.

[robertdo]

Isn't ti the same violin you posted not that long ago, with the small hole on the top right boot? It seems to me that relative to the diameter of the G string, the top of the bridge is really thick.

[~ Ben Conover]

Give ya $100 for it.

[iburkard]

At least the saddle (if it is backwards) is in the right place.

Here is a lovely novice mistake that I found today.

...the nut doesn't seem quite right.

[James M. Jones]

funny Is that the nut on the bridge?

[fiddlecollector]

Looks like an ebony mute to me

But on closer inspection there is no nut ,no room for one !

[Fellow]

Looks like an ebony mute to me

But on closer inspection there is no nut ,no room for one !

+++++++++++++

Amati model violins are quite beautiful. Commercial Amati are not. That is the big difference.

Why? The modern makers do not pay attention to the detail of the original. In short, they are doing bad jobs.

How? Get the best posters possible and study them for sometime before cutting, carving and trimmings.

Our tools are much better thanthe tools in the old days.

[Magnus Nedregard]

How good (accurate) is my copy (compared with the one in museum)?

It just completely sucks, and you know it!

[Fellow]

Isn't ti the same violin you posted not that long ago, with the small hole on the top right boot? It seems to me that relative to the diameter of the G string, the top of the bridge is really thick.

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It was mistaken as a Guarneri, until I looked at the label which never said it was. So I tried to

match its f-hole, a perfect Amati. I was surprised. You never know and textbook never lie.

( I mean the profile of an Amati, not its varnish. On a true Amati you cannot find any varnish, thirt maybe.. Don't kdding yourself

to see varnish, or it is not original ) You cannot blame people made mistake an Amati as Guarneri, check this pic. which is which?

[Janito]

+++++++++++

So I tried to

match its f-hole, a perfect Amati. I was surprised. You never know and textbook never lie.

( I mean the profile of an Amati, not its varnish. On a true Amati you cannot find any varnish, thirt maybe.. Don't kdding yourself

to see varnish, or it is not original )

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

Did you actually find an authenticated Amati with F holes that matched perfectly those on your violin? I think not.

[Janito]

Ah - now that I can see your F drawings, I am convinced you have a true Amatus (singular of Amati, because you only have 1 violin).

[Fellow]

Ah - now that I can see your F drawings, I am convinced you have a true Amatus (singular of Amati, because you only have 1 violin).

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The hand written label which I took it down and dicarded it. The label once said it was a model(copy) of Amati.

"Copy" may be too strong a word. Now, how do you know? A little detective workis was in order. Find a pic in a libray

of old Amati, f hole. I was surprised these f-holes look so similar. Eye-balling them may make mistkes. So I made

paper f-holes to match the violin. Amati won.

Thank you. One violin, two Amati f-holes, four islands (peninsulars).

[iburkard]

is that the nut on the bridge?

Indeed... I wonder if we can learn from this mistake - bridge feet should be as far apart as the nut is wide.

[Johnmasters]

It just completely sucks, and you know it!

It certainly does. Ben, you can get it for 65.95 anywhere. It is an early Chinese commercial violin. This is the sort of example that makes me say the Chinese factories have made enormous strides in the last 10 years or so.

My work for Wheeling schools had me replacing a number of these with more modern white violins. Most of the early ones with any kind of damage were not worth fixing.

I did my varnish experiments and sold them to the system for $350. I broke even and they were happy. Very happy.

[Fellow]

It just completely sucks, and you know it!

++++++++++++++

It depends on what you know and what you do not know. I was amazed by its sound and then I looked more into its structure.

(no varnish talk please) the arching and the height of the ribs f-holes, blocks (there is a relationship). Not the nut and saddle,which are terrible.

You may pay more but are you really getting its worth? That is a tough question.

I have had violins repaired by Dave Ross. I do not know who he was (or is). (I assume he would not touch a violin if theywere

not have a bit of class). Look expensive and old but they sound quite good (through selecting process, I think)

but not as good as this. I have no idea how good your violins sound? It is a hidden variable. Have your violins gone through a process?

being placed in a museum. Only requirement is old. The older the better.

[iburkard]

Time to change the title of this thread.

[troutabout]

"Is this an Amati" ? That depends on what the definition of is is. You mentioned islands. Could this be the lost twin from the Maldives school ? I'm just sayin' ...............

[Bruce Carlson]

++++++++++++++

It depends on what you know and what you do not know. I was amazed by its sound and then I looked more into its structure.

(no varnish talk please) the arching and the height of the ribs f-holes, blocks (there is a relationship). Not the nut and saddle,which are terrible.

You may pay more but are you really getting its worth? That is a tough question.

Hi Fellow,

This sounds like "elective affinities" overkill.

YOU and only YOU can decide what YOU like.

Bruce

[Fellow]

Hi Fellow,

This sounds like "elective affinities" overkill.

YOU and only YOU can decide what YOU like.

Bruce

+++++++++++

Is it a violin of model Amati?

Being an Amati violin is something that it has to do with its shape, f-holes.

I was told f-hole is a way to classify or to exclude. Of course other characteristics are involved.

Most people here are talking about Amati copies, models and pic in books. The only real Amati I have seen

were in musuems. The best shops do not have them.

[Bruce Carlson]

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How about this one (violin). Is it a violin of model Amati? It has an Amati f-hole. (left side) Amati shoulder?

Being an Amati violin is not something I like or dislike. It should have the shape, f-hole. I was told f-hole is a way to classify or to exclude.

It has also been said that love is blind. You are surely in love with your violins.

[David Burgess]

Dear Mr. Yuen;

I'd like to think that we are friends, and that we have exchanged some good humor in the past, so please take this with that in mind.

There have been some other hints in this thread, but from either an artistic or an Amati historic perspective, this violin basically sucks.

I obviously can't comment on how it sounds. If it sounds good to you and brings you joy, that's what matters, and perhaps you shouldn't mess with satisfaction too much. We can all poll the public on whether our girl is Playboy centerfold material, but what does it accomplish?

[Fellow]

Dear Mr. Yuen;

I'd like to think that we are friends, and that we have exchanged some good humor in the past, so please take this with that in mind.

There have been some other hints in this thread, but from either an artistic or an Amati historic perspective, this violin basically sucks.

I obviously can't comment on how it sounds. If it sounds good to you and brings you joy, that's what matters, and perhaps you shouldn't mess with satisfaction too much. We can all poll the public on whether our girl is Playboy centerfold material, but what does it accomplish?

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I want to know if it ( a pic in general) is an Amati f-hole if I see one. It seems to me not that easy as I first thought.

Most of us thinking an Amati f-hole is a compressed f-hole but not always.

[luthierwannabe]

+++++++++++

Here is an Amati

Hi Fellow,

I dont know how you managed it, but when I click on your picture it opens the Maestronet front page.

Regards...Tony

[Fellow]

Hi Fellow,

I dont know how you managed it, but when I click on your picture it opens the Maestronet front page.

Regards...Tony

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Nothing intentional. I was doing an editing. See above. Some people thinking I have nothing

good to do. They are wrong. Repeat. I want to identify an f-hole if it is an Amati. Not

everyone can if they have an attitude. (After seeing many many, you would come to a sense what it is)

Why I have so many questions? Here is the reason. Often a violin by the time in my hands, the label is misplaced.

So, I would like to call an Amati model, an Amati model. A Strad model, a Strad, model. They deserve to be called

what they are. The first question I asked of a pic. in fact is aStrad model. but no one here corrected it. I did not mean to chellenge our experts here.

They are experts I agree 100% but I was disappointed they sided track the question.

Finally I found the labels were mixed up (not by me). If one goes by the labels which are not so bad if labels have not been tempered with.

What are those labels, any way? Labels were put there for identifying the models which were quite accurate. Those are European made violins.

They did not put there arbitrarily.