Ohoney Mahoney Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Hi all, Would anyone be able to give me some information on the identity or value of this violin? It is over 100 years old and has had a repair to the body. Looking for a date or country of origin, all I can see is some old German text. Please let me know if you need anything else. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jacobsaunders Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 It would seem that someone has stuck a sliver of an old newspaper in a rather modest violin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ratcliffiddles Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 My immediate reaction was one of the Nippon fiddles from earlier in the 20th century, but not entirely sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rue Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 That violin doesn't look 100 years old to me. 1950s? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 6 hours ago, jacobsaunders said: It would seem that someone has stuck a sliver of an old newspaper in a rather modest violin 3 hours ago, Ratcliffiddles said: My immediate reaction was one of the Nippon fiddles from earlier in the 20th century, but not entirely sure. 3 hours ago, Rue said: That violin doesn't look 100 years old to me. 1950s? The newspaper snippet is a puzzler, but the rest of it, in wood, varnish, and workmanship closely resembles my example of an early post-WW II Saxon refugee-made trade violin labeled from Mittenwald (a subject exhaustively discussed here before). I would consider the mix of a fully-carved scroll (1) with a built-on-back body typical of the extreme end of the Markneukirchen/Schönbach "school" before B-O-B finally gave way to molds, and would date it to the 1940's or early 1950's. Quite likely from the shop of Anton Dietl, as described in "A Spray Gun For The Varnish". 1. But note the merest hint of a "delta" still present at the heel of the scroll. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GeorgeH Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Maybe it says "Made in Nippon" under the newspaper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Dorsey Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 It is definitely not Nippon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Felefar Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Looks like it is assembled from bits and pieces, even the back plates seem to be glued together from smaller scraps. I have a "Frankenfiddle" which resembles it a little, although slightly less "parts bin assembly". Looks like it was made by a child playing in a luthier's workshop.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 12 hours ago, Felefar said: Looks like it is assembled from bits and pieces, even the back plates seem to be glued together from smaller scraps. I have a "Frankenfiddle" which resembles it a little, although slightly less "parts bin assembly". Looks like it was made by a child playing in a luthier's workshop.... I've never seen anything like the long diagonal seam in the back before, and it's got me curious too, wondering if the newsprint is reinforcing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uguntde Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 I hope you are not insulted, but the value is that of firewood. The newspaper inside may be worth more though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Felefar Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 I keep mine as an ebay reminder: The most important picture is the one that the seller is NOT showing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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