ClefLover Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 “French? Italian?...” such indifference! I do think it’s missing “German?” I believe it is an early 20th century German VSO. That edging is flat as a pancake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 1 hour ago, ClefLover said: “French? Italian?...” such indifference! I do think it’s missing “German?” I believe it is an early 20th century German VSO. That edging is flat as a pancake. If it's what I found on eBay, searching on what little you info you gave (I'll restore the link to what I found after the auction is over), IMHO, the "Old violin set, French? Italian? dusty label inside, with two bows", looks like possibly bush-league British circa 1890-1920's, or something produced by an amateur, or something traded to a GI somewhere in Europe for a pack of cigarettes and a can of Spam. The combined use of unusually-grained wood, slab-cut one piece back, idiosyncratic scroll without delta or 6 o'clock cutoff, thick, probably oil-turp (and most likely commercial) varnish that aged badly, corners suggesting use of a mold, the edging you mention, unevenly scratched purfling, that stuff screams "not a Markie!!!" loud and clear (the Markneukirchen wholesalers had their standards), but doesn't say much about what it is, questionable violinmaking being cosmopolitan. Pity the label has been destroyed. As far as the artlessly composed blurb goes, at times like this, I really miss Pahdah Hound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClefLover Posted August 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 British, eh? Darn, I thought I had this one pegged as German. It already looks like someone is bidding on this turd. Sorry, here is the link (that Violadamore linked as well): https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F163795059224 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, ClefLover said: British, eh? Darn, I thought I had this one pegged as German. It already looks like someone is bidding on this turd. Counting shipping, that's $580 more than I'd give for it. That varnish is horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violinnewb Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 18 hours ago, Violadamore said: If it's what I found on eBay, searching on what little you info you gave (I'll restore the link to what I found after the auction is over), IMHO, the "Old violin set, French? Italian? dusty label inside, with two bows", looks like possibly bush-league British circa 1890-1920's, or something produced by an amateur, or something traded to a GI somewhere in Europe for a pack of cigarettes and a can of Spam. The combined use of unusually-grained wood, slab-cut one piece back, idiosyncratic scroll without delta or 6 o'clock cutoff, thick, probably oil-turp (and most likely commercial) varnish that aged badly, corners suggesting use of a mold, the edging you mention, unevenly scratched purfling, that stuff screams "not a Markie!!!" loud and clear (the Markneukirchen wholesalers had their standards), but doesn't say much about what it is, questionable violinmaking being cosmopolitan. Pity the label has been destroyed. As far as the artlessly composed blurb goes, at times like this, I really miss Pahdah Hound. spam and cigs...yes please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 Isn't it a lower grade Mittenwald violin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 2 hours ago, martin swan said: Isn't it a lower grade Mittenwald violin? Without a look at the lower rib and the corner blocks, that can't be ruled out either, but, if so, it undermines their reputation for quality to a new low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 The craquelure to the varnish can't really be ascribed to a lack of quality. Some Mittenwald varnish has a hide glue size or undercoat, and is very susceptible to heat. Apart from that I can't see that much wrong with the model - the f-holes are nice, the wood is potentially very good, the button is neat, the scroll carving goes to the bitter end, the rib corners are relatively straight, the scroll is acceptable. I say all this in spite of my extreme disdain for this seller and their various tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 42 minutes ago, martin swan said: The craquelure to the varnish can't really be ascribed to a lack of quality. Some Mittenwald varnish has a hide glue size or undercoat, and is very susceptible to heat. Apart from that I can't see that much wrong with the model - the f-holes are nice, the wood is potentially very good, the button is neat, the scroll carving goes to the bitter end, the rib corners are relatively straight, the scroll is acceptable. I say all this in spite of my extreme disdain for this seller and their various tricks. Understood, but, I find the general aspect of this violin rather off-putting. I see much work to be done. When combined with the $500 minimum bid and the the annoying nature of the blurb, it sends me off quickly in search of lower-hanging fruit. For comparison, a couple of weeks ago, I got a very interesting (and much easier to pigeonhole) Vogtland benchmade (that I already have stabilized, set up, and playing delightfully), with a custom leather case in near-mint condition, for less than minimum bid plus shipping on the OP fiddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted August 2, 2019 Report Share Posted August 2, 2019 The auction is over, and it even got bid up a little. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-violin-set-French-Italian-dusty-label-inside-with-two-bows-/163795059224? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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