Need Help

[Olivia_Pfund]

Looking for some help here. I'm working with a used cello. It is a Lewis & Sons Ton Klar "The Klengl" model number 1920. The person I purchased it from states that is was made sometime in the 1960's; however, I have my doubts. I've scoured the internet looking for any more information on this brand, it's history, this cello, anything and have come up dry. Any thoughts?

Edited November 17, 2014 by Olivia_Pfund

[deans]

Why don't you believe it? 1960s or 70s is very believable for that brand name. Could be earlier or later, but not by much. I believe if you check ebay you will find a dozen or so Ton-Klar violins (cellos might be a bit rarer).

[Brad Dorsey]

I think Ton-Klars date from the 1950s to 1970s.

[Olivia_Pfund]

I'm always just skeptical of what people claim when it comes to how old an item is. I honestly am not knowledgeable what so ever when it comes to brands and such. I am just looking to learn more about my investment.  

[franciscus]

I do not know how it was going with the cellos, but Ton Klar line of the violins started 1957/58. 1975 the format of the label changed and serial numbers restarted. The second format of labels lasts till about 1979. There is a third format, more recent, but I do not know much about it.

[Will L]

 I am just looking to learn more about my investment.  

Olivia,

 

You're right to try to learn.  Particularly if or when you start looking to get a more expensive instrument, it will be good to have knowledge.  Keep reading and learning.

 

I'm not qualified to discuss student grade or commercial instruments, so this has nothing to do with your specific instrument:

 

Stringed instruments are very complicated in the design, making, repairing, and dealing, so it's little wonder that people are largely ignorant of all the fine points.  As long as they realize they don't know much, they are not going to get in trouble if they deal with reliable shops.  It's when people start believing myths that they can run into trouble.  e-bay offerings, for example, are a wealth of the ignorant leading the more ignorant.  We often laugh at some of the writings, but they can lead to no laughing matters when people buy junk because of fanciful writing.  

 

Now this will be hard to believe, but just to show the heights of absurdity that people can believe and spout:  An owner brought me a violin which had a label showing their violin was a Stradivari, 1644, Germany.  (There was more to the label, but these were the basics)  Well, they had been told that the violin was made in Stradivari's "German period."  They were told he had gone to Germany for a while, and could not be convinced otherwise—at least by me.  Then the date:  1644 is the assumed date of Stradivari's birth; genius though he was, he was not likely making violins before blowing out his first birthday candle.

 

In your case, when the seller mentioned age, he was probably right.  But age means little in itself.  In an instrument of this type a few decades don't mean much.  Feel free to ask all the questions you want.  There are a lot of people on Maestronet who are happy to give opinions  

[mrfiddle]

Congrats on starting to learn about these instruments.

 

A word of warning, the more you read and learn the more likely you are to become addicted to it and it might turn your whole life upside down!

 

Ask me how I know.