hendrik Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 https://www.cleveland.com/arts/2021/02/is-this-violin-a-rare-stradivarius-cleveland-area-man-on-quest-to-prove-estate-sale-purchase-is-worth-millions.html?fbclid=IwAR17flU8_ZZrNYud1mFvNjATMkr7KHwbzpJSM2CQRcUqJcqBa9osdIqRidw Found this rather interesting: "A fitness professional, glass blower, and amateur physicist, he had both the artistic and scientific backgrounds needed to take up the case. At the same time, he was a newcomer to the violin world, a fact he said has given him easier access to dealers and other experts." Unfortunately the pictures aren't very good, but looks like a nice violin. No mention of a dendro. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martin swan Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 I love the bit about dealers conspiring to keep prices low - I thought we were always being accused of the opposite I hope the pictures aren't actually of this person's presumed Strad? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 Cochineal as "proof"? How about a dendro, structure, toolmarks, and how does it sound, whatever it is?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 2 hours ago, martin swan said: I love the bit about dealers conspiring to keep prices low - I thought we were always being accused of the opposite Depends on whether you're selling or buying, right? Going by the photos and the whole feel of the narrative, my offer for it would likely aggravate them no end, especially the "free shipping" part. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 Bitten again. The edit button needs to be put back where it was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Violadamore Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 and yet again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Burgess Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 27 minutes ago, Violadamore said: and yet again. Happy hour must come earlier in your neck of the woods. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
duane88 Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 Buy the plane ticket and take it to Ch. Beare. One way or the other, if he has a look at it, it's done. I will cost him, though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Three13 Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 I'd invest in a dendro report before hopping a plane to London. Visually (which I know means nothing relative to dendro) the wood used for the top seems idiosyncratic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob K Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 2 hours ago, Violadamore said: Cochineal as "proof"? How about a dendro, structure, toolmarks, and how does it sound, whatever it is?? As Cochineal is a common food colouring (E120 until Britain regains sovereignty over E numbers), can they tell when when this 'proof' was applied to the instrument? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
violinsRus Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 4 hours ago, martin swan said: I hope the pictures aren't actually of this person's presumed Strad? I had wondered the same when I saw this article the other day, and assumed these are stock pics from somewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deans Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 2 hours ago, duane88 said: Buy the plane ticket and take it to Ch. Beare. One way or the other, if he has a look at it, it's done. I will cost him, though... Exactly. But there are people within driving distance of Cleveland that could tell him if its worth the trip and maybe act as a mediator. Of course none of this will happen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Televet Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 I was not excited enough to disable my ad blocker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 5 hours ago, Violadamore said: and yet again. Your flaws just make you more lovable, dear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 Having read the first part of the article I can say that it is completely bogus. He has been trying “for years?“ Any expert can look it over and see if it’s a Strad, and from 20 feet away, too. Pretty violin, but no. I wonder if it came with a bow? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shelbow Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 22 minutes ago, PhilipKT said: Having read the first part of the article I can say that it is completely bogus. He has been trying “for years?“ Any expert can look it over and see if it’s a Strad, and from 20 feet away, too. Pretty violin, but no. I wonder if it came with a bow? The bow was a Tourte, but he already sold that for 70 million magic beans Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Burgess Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 11 minutes ago, Shelbow said: The bow was a Tourte, but he already sold that for 70 million magic beans Did it come with a case, rosin, a pitch pipe for tuning, or a spare set of strings? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shelbow Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 7 minutes ago, David Burgess said: Did it come with a case, rosin, a pitch pipe for tuning, or a spare set of strings? It came with a letter signed by Elvis......... but it was dated 1985 #xfiles #mulder&scully Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 Just now, Shelbow said: It came with a letter signed by Elvis......... but it was dated 1985 #xfiles #mulder&scully So there IS life after death! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sospiri Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 6 hours ago, David Burgess said: Happy hour must come earlier in your neck of the woods. Imagine not having a winter? Wouldn't every day be a celebration? But then again.. tropical storms? Maybe I'm better off where I am. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sospiri Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 6 hours ago, duane88 said: Buy the plane ticket and take it to Ch. Beare. One way or the other, if he has a look at it, it's done. I will cost him, though... But that would spoil the fantasy. He doesn't want to discover what it is, he wants to prove it's a Strad. I read a book by a woman who was convinced she had a Da Vinci painting. I wonder how much she spent getting that book published? And why she didn't just save the bother and ask the experts? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hendrik Posted February 10 Author Report Share Posted February 10 Maybe the article helps him to find another enthusiast with similar artistic and scientific qualifications? 20K in 1999 : could have bought him a very nice fiddle if he had visited a reputable dealer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
violinsRus Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 Well, they even got as far as convincing someone to list the instrument as the 1737 McKay Strad on Wikipedia. There's got to be pics of the instrument out there somewhere... Keep digging folks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stradivarius_instruments Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FiddleDoug Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 "This instrument was purchased from the estate of P. T. Barnum." That should tell it all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sospiri Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 41 minutes ago, violinsRus said: Well, they even got as far as convincing someone to list the instrument as the 1737 McKay Strad on Wikipedia. There's got to be pics of the instrument out there somewhere... Keep digging folks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stradivarius_instruments The Lost Last Strad. The last one he ever made. Lost for decades. Now rediscovered. Of course, being the last one he ever made it has a place of special honour. It goes right to the end of the list for all to clearly see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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