New Hill violins

[larry f]

On 12/9/2019 at 9:25 PM, Rue said:

I like their Del Gesu descripton;

"Dark, earthy, grounded with a heroic human voice, full of grit and power."

I feel a bodice-ripper moment forming.

You don't want to know. Trust me.

But - speaking of oil, they *gasp* are selling a varnish cleaner. Didn't someone send them the memo?

  

[Twinpipe]

How much do these "workshop" instruments cost? And what do these instruments have, if anything, in common with previous Hill shop violins?

[Twinpipe]

1 hour ago, Dwight Brown said:

It’s kind of like when they resurrected Bugatti. The present company has almost nothing to do with the real Bugatti company. I think there are lots of instances of this sort of thing. 
 

DLB

The two cases aren't analogous. W.E. Hill operated continuously under the control of the Hill family from the 1800s to the 1990s. Bugatti changed hands several times.

[MikeC]

Well... at least the varnish looks nice.   

[Evan Smith]

New Hill 2019 violins retail,, 30 to 40,,

names help

[JacksonMaberry]

13 minutes ago, Evan Smith said:

New Hill 2019 violins retail,, 30 to 40,,

names help

30 to 40k, for a what amounts to a "workshop of Greiner/Young", hucked under Hill livery?

That, Evan, is what snake oil smells like. 

[Violadamore]

36 minutes ago, JacksonMaberry said:

30 to 40k, for a what amounts to a "workshop of Greiner/Young", hucked under Hill livery?

That, Evan, is what snake oil smells like. 

[Opening a window in the nice weather, catches a whiff of, besides the herpetarium, her barnyard, and the musk of a passing weasel....]  Perhaps the fragrance here, like most concocted perfumes, is a blend, perhaps on a snake-oil base...... 

[Twinpipe]

53 minutes ago, JacksonMaberry said:

30 to 40k, for a what amounts to a "workshop of Greiner/Young", hucked under Hill livery?

That, Evan, is what snake oil smells like. 

Snake oil? More like something that comes from male steer...

I doubt any of these violins will change hands at that price. I'm surprised if they have more than a couple manufactured and in stock.

[Twinpipe]

Who wants to bet that these violins are sent to the "Hill" shop "in the white"...?

[Three13]

At those levels, I guess you could just buy an original Hill...

[JacksonMaberry]

47 minutes ago, Violadamore said:

[Opening a window in the nice weather, catches a whiff of, besides the herpetarium, her barnyard, and the musk of a passing weasel....]  Perhaps the fragrance here, like most concocted perfumes, is a blend, perhaps on a snake-oil base...... 

Like!

[Wood Butcher]

Where has the £30 - 40k price come from?

Are these actual prices, or just someone's guess?

[Evan Smith]

[martin swan]

are these US$ or OZ$?

[Evan Smith]

US of A Hurray,,,

I'd certainly enjoy a nice cordial blind playoff,

An even dozen each from  any maker,

That would set the record straight!

sort of!

[deans]

A quick search seems its from the Brobst web page. At that price I'd go with an early 20th century instrument, or a new American, but I still like the look of that Messiah

[Violadamore]

1 hour ago, deans said:

A quick search seems its from the Brobst web page. At that price I'd go with an early 20th century instrument, or a new American, but I still like the look of that Messiah

Yup.  They've got the "Hill" Bergonzi copy as well, same price range.  For comparison, based on browsing their stock online, replacing my entire current working stable of 3 antique fiddles and bows, with similar equivalents retail at Brobst would roughly equal their price asked for either one of the Hill shop violins.  I would hope that Hill's new shop achieves truly supernatural sound, as my little collection doesn't sound shabby at all.. 

[jacobsaunders]

28 minutes ago, Violadamore said:

Yup.  They've got the "Hill" Bergonzi copy as well, same price range.  For comparison, based on browsing their stock online, replacing my entire current working stable of 3 antique fiddles and bows, with similar equivalents retail at Brobst would roughly equal their price asked for either one of the Hill shop violins.  I would hope that Hill's new shop achieves truly supernatural sound, as my little collection doesn't sound shabby at all.. 

Goodness, Dutzendarbeit are expensive in Florida

[deans]

15 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

Goodness, Dutzendarbeit are expensive in Florida

Yeah, that would be 10K a piece. But most transactions down there are in alligator hides, you have to count sweat equity

[Wood Butcher]

What would you do if you were buying something which cost less than the price of a full hide? Are they easy to cut up?

[Violadamore]

42 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

Goodness, Dutzendarbeit are expensive in Florida

 

30 minutes ago, deans said:

Yeah, that would be 10K a piece. But most transactions down there are in alligator hides, you have to count sweat equity

Ha, ha.    As Jacob is aware, my antique "private stock"'s all signed/identified benchmades (a Wm. Thompson, a Georg Klotz, and a Julius Zölch), and I was including 3 nice German bows.  They seem to start pricing bows at about $5K.  I, of course, haven't invested anything near retail in my raw material.

23 minutes ago, Wood Butcher said:

What would you do if you were buying something which cost less than the price of a full hide? Are they easy to cut up?

Make up the difference in python hides, of course, or in this case, maybe weasel skins.... 

[matesic]

7 hours ago, Evan Smith said:

Today I was hoping to audition one or two as an anonymous violin-workshop-reviewer but the staff must have all gone home by the time I sent my message. Now I'm sure I'd get barred at the door

[vathek]

18 hours ago, Dwight Brown said:

It’s kind of like when they resurrected Bugatti. The present company has almost nothing to do with the real Bugatti company. I think there are lots of instances of this sort of thing. 
 

DLB

Waterman pens come to mind

[Wood Butcher]

So, "The Hill" violin, which has nothing to do with W.E. Hill & sons, made for Beare's, who are not Beare's any more, but Morris & Smith, made under the direction of Greiner, but not by Greiner, in a workshop somewhere, which may be in another country, costs more than an original W.E. Hill & sons violin.

My head is really hurting now

[deans]

9 minutes ago, Wood Butcher said:

So, "The Hill" violin, which has nothing to do with W.E. Hill & sons, made for Beare's, who are not Beare's any more, but Morris & Smith, made under the direction of Greiner, but not by Greiner, in a workshop somewhere, which may be in another country, costs more than an original W.E. Hill & sons violin.

So far this is my take, except for the made in another country, that's speculation. 

I'm curious what they are like. My gut feeling is that they will be good.