Strange Violin

[O_o]

Hello!

 

The other day I was curious to know who made my violin, since it was given to my dad and I had no idea where it was from. The print inside says "Matthias Thir" and underneath that "Vienna". Who is this, and does anybody have any info on it? I think itd be cool to know it's history Thx

[Stephen Fine]

Perhaps you already know, it has, for centuries, been common for labels to be fake.  Just because your instrument says Matthias Thir does not mean it is made by him.

 

That being said, check out this book if you're really interested.

 

And visit the Pegbox with your question, take some high quality photos of your instrument and you might get some input.

[Will L]

M. Their made in Vienna in the late 1700s.  A decent maker, and if your violin is original and in good condition it would be worth in the neighborhood of $15,000.  (But I'm not currently following prices, so I might be off.)

 

As you probably already know, it is next to impossible to find a Stradivari which is real, no matter what the label says.  Well, that's not quite so true of lesser makers such as Thir, but you will still see fake labels even in these violins.  So the first thing to do is get the violin to a good shop.

 

You're not likely to find out much about its history; sometimes you can find old receipts in the case.  

 

And if you have a bow with it, be sure to have that checked out, too.  Often a good violin will have a good bow with it.

[deans]

Yes real Thirs are actually fairly common, and I think Will is about right, 10-20K is the usual retail price, more for really nice examples or the top shelf shops. These are instruments that a middle class person can afford if they want something old and interesting, so they do pop up in unexpected places once in a while.

 

But still M. Thir is a label that was commonly inserted into junky late 19th century instruments and these out number real ones by a large margin. A couple pics would be very useful.

[Omobono]

But still M. Thir is a label that was commonly inserted into junky late 19th century instruments and these out number real ones by a large margin. A couple pics would be very useful.

This appears true enough..... I have seen a couple in my limited exposure.

Doesn't mean you still can't enjoy your fiddle and its 'uncertain' history 

Of course, there are a number of makers that share that family name.

Others may be able to relate them to each other.