Help me identify this violin please

[perky]

Hello,

A friend of me asked me to help to identify this violin?

Do you have any idea of what it could be?

Thanks a lot!

[Delabo]

I am not sure what it is - I will let one of the experts pronounce their opinion - did someone overcoat it with varnish ?

It may be an optical illusion, but is the soundpost in an odd position ?

It should be just behind  the bridge foot on the treble side.

[Nick Allen]

8 minutes ago, Delabo said:

I am not sure what it is - I will let one of the experts pronounce their opinion - did someone overcoat it with varnish ?

It may be an optical illusion, but is the soundpost in an odd position ?

It should be just behind  the bridge foot on the treble side.

That is the treble side. If anything it looks like it may be a bit too far out towards the f. 

[Nick Allen]

Also, it looks as though someone may have French polished it.

[PhilipKT]

I noticed the varnish overcoat as well. Is it fresh varnish? Or is it just some kind of protective covering on the original varnish? I also noticed the Peg holes have not been bushed.

(A rather embarrassing typo there)

Edited April 30, 2019 by PhilipKT

[Dave Slight]

1 hour ago, PhilipKT said:

I noticed the varnish overcoat as well. Is it fresh varnish? Or is it just some kind of protective covering on the original varnish? I also noticed the F-holes have not been bushed.

Why would F holes ever be bushed, assuming such a thing was even possible?
 

[PhilipKT]

1 hour ago, Dave Slight said:

Why would F holes ever be bushed, assuming such a thing was even possible?
 

F holes, foolish me. I meant PEG holes.

Sorry about thatSorry about that

[deans]

The peg holes aren't bushed probably because they never needed to be.

[Violadamore]

I'm wondering if it's something or other Mirecourt, from around 1910 or so.  All I'm sure of is that it's not the ordinary "usual", and someone has meddled with the varnish and done repairs.  Looks like it had a soundpost crack, as well as other cracks.

[PhilipKT]

2 hours ago, deans said:

The peg holes aren't bushed probably because they never needed to be.

Of course but that’s an indication of youth, right?

[duane88]

8 minutes ago, PhilipKT said:

Of course but that’s an indication of youth, right?

Or a volute graft...

[deans]

17 minutes ago, PhilipKT said:

Of course but that’s an indication of youth, right?

Or lack of use

Or good care by an owner, one of my main instruments of 30+ years hardly has any wear in the peg holes, and I tune a lot.

[PhilipKT]

2 hours ago, deans said:

Or lack of use

Or good care by an owner, one of my main instruments of 30+ years hardly has any wear in the peg holes, and I tune a lot.

I would imagine that if peg holes are bushed it indicates ~100 years or more. If they are not bushed it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

[Dave Slight]

You cannot use bushings to estimate the age of an instrument. Plenty of makers are putting bushings in from new.

[jacobsaunders]

I get tired of pointing out, that the art of attributing violins accurately is contingent on only looking at the violin as it was originally and analysing how, with what method/school it was made, and completely ignoring what subsequent repairs/atrocities it might have endured. To fabulate if or why it has been grafted or bushed (what ever part) is the trademark of the clueless ebay punter, who has, or is on the way to getting, a garage full of junk and an empty bank account.

 

With the pictures provided, I would postulate that it isn’t possible to exclude or attribute much. It seems to be re-varnished or over varnished, and I would want to look at it from a “cornerblockology” point of view, but do not have anything to go on.

[Violadamore]

5 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:

I get tired of pointing out, that the art of attributing violins accurately is contingent on only looking at the violin as it was originally and analysing how, with what method/school it was made, and completely ignoring what subsequent repairs/atrocities it might have endured. To fabulate if or why it has been grafted or bushed (what ever part) is the trademark of the clueless ebay punter, who has, or is on the way to getting, a garage full of junk and an empty bank account.

 

With the pictures provided, I would postulate that it isn’t possible to exclude or attribute much. It seems to be re-varnished or over varnished, and I would want to look at it from a “cornerblockology” point of view, but do not have anything to go on.

I'll echo Jacob here, and add that I'd like Jeffrey to unlock the "How to photograph an instrument for identifcation purposes:" thread pinned at the top of The Pegbox for a while.  This is to allow me (or whoever else he might designate) to insert a post requesting anyone wanting their violin's origin to be guessed at by MN members to include F-hole or endoscopic photos of the violin's interior sufficient to give a glimpse of at least the lower bout corner blocks and linings, to increase the probability of getting our help. 

BTW, Perky, please add some photos , or at least a description, of the corner blocks, as well as photos of the saddle/endpeg/lower bout rib area.

It's no aid to identification, but how does it sound?