Is this a Jean-baptiste Vuillaume?

[PhilipKT]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey Holmes said:

Yup... An American maker I knew, Don Eckland, could pull off a convincing Vuillaume paraph/ hieroglyph/signature/doodle on demand as well.

Ha! My friend worked with Ekland for a time and he has stories…among which is never buy from him  a bow with an Albert Nürnberger stamp.

[reg]

Hello Maestroneters - further to this saga!

The old lady came in today with the violin and the reason for her reticence became clear - the violin belongs to her sister, but she has had it for many years.

Herewith some details Back length 35.5; C-bout 11.4;Lower bout 20.8

I tried to scope inside but it was very thick with woolly dust - but there was a few swiggles which see below which could be the paraph.

It also has a scroll graft and the pin is half under the purfling

 

[deans]

The newer picks are more flattering. I think its time to take it to somebody who can look at it in person. It looks like a good instrument.

[Jeny Mahon]

2 hours ago, reg said:

Hello Maestroneters - further to this saga!

The old lady came in today with the violin and the reason for her reticence became clear - the violin belongs to her sister, but she has had it for many years.

Herewith some details Back length 35.5; C-bout 11.4;Lower bout 20.8

I tried to scope inside but it was very thick with woolly dust - but there was a few swiggles which see below which could be the paraph.

It also has a scroll graft and the pin is half under the purfling

 

Would it be any better to take the setup off, maybe put some air in there and blow out the dust, then look through the endpin hole?  I've been able to get decent-ish photos though the hole with my cell phone, it's not easy but it can work.  

[MikeC]

Just for fun.  

[Marcus London]

Nice story. Says something obliquely about prices for Vuihhaumes.

[reg]

Why has everyone gone shtum on this topic?

Is it too much a hot potato or is there just no consensus

Mr Holmes?

[Delabo]

20 minutes ago, reg said:

Why has everyone gone shtum on this topic?

Is it too much a hot potato or is there just no consensus

Mr Holmes?

I guess its because your new pictures were not adequate. Its a shame you did not use the old uncooked rice though the f-holes trick with a gentle shake to clear the dust before you took the pictures of the squiggle inside the violin. To judge if its a real Vuillaume from photos, better un-fuzzy pictures of the varnish, locating pins on the back, label, and clear shots of the squiggle would be the minimum requirement I am guessing. At the end of the day such an important instrument would need to be thoroughly examined by an expert in person.

[Jeffrey Holmes]

42 minutes ago, reg said:

Why has everyone gone shtum on this topic?

Is it too much a hot potato or is there just no consensus

Mr Holmes?

Can't see enough... The interior needs to be cleaned out. I can say the new photo of the (partial) view of the top is encouraging...

[reg]

Thank you Delabo - appreciate your comment!

I did think of the old rice trick, but with the lady sitting watching my every movement, I just couldn't do it.

I also wanted to go in through the end pin but it wasn't possible in the short few minutes I had

[reg]

Thank you Jeffrey

I am will follow this up

[MikeC]

I notice on the picture that shows the button on the back there doesn't appear to be a locating pin near the purfling.  Is that anything meaningful?  

[Jeffrey Holmes]

4 hours ago, MikeC said:

I notice on the picture that shows the button on the back there doesn't appear to be a locating pin near the purfling.  Is that anything meaningful?  

Although the image isn't super sharp, in regs first set of photos, it looks like a bisected pin is present.

[MikeC]

The first looks like a dark spot just inside the purfling that could be a pin but it's too blurry to know for sure.  Second photo if it's the same instrument looks like some small dents / dings in the wood but doesn't look like a pin.  Althoug Reg says a pin half under the purfling and he has seen it up close in person.  

Pictures enlarged but limited in resolution. 

[Jeffrey Holmes]

2 hours ago, MikeC said:

The first looks like a dark spot just inside the purfling that could be a pin but it's too blurry to know for sure.  Second photo if it's the same instrument looks like some small dents / dings in the wood but doesn't look like a pin.  Althoug Reg says a pin half under the purfling and he has seen it up close in person.  

Pictures enlarged but limited in resolution. 

Yup.  Fuzzy photos, but whatever it is is kind of in the right spot and I figure reg has been around here long enough to know when he sees one... but I did run the button area of that photo through my photo program filters and made it a bit clearer. Sure appears to be a pin. The angle is not the best for clarity  in the second set of photos.  For more clarification, we'll need to wait for reg to update us.

[MikeC]

Your photo editing software and skills are lot better than mine!   In the first set of photos there appears to be a pin at the tail end also.   

In the second set of photos the clarity is good enough to distinguish the black and white strips of the purfling so you would think a pin would be easy to identify there.  

[Jeffrey Holmes]

1 hour ago, MikeC said:

Your photo editing software and skills are lot better than mine!   In the first set of photos there appears to be a pin at the tail end also.   

In the second set of photos the clarity is good enough to distinguish the black and white strips of the purfling so you would think a pin would be easy to identify there.  

I think the angle may be the culprit...

[reg]

Herewith a pic I got last week

 

 

[Jeffrey Holmes]

thanks reg.

[MikeC]

Well the neck is in good focus.     But there's definately something that looks like a pin there. 

[martin swan]

There are two pins - I thought the pin at the top was strangely visible for such an out of focus photo, but now it's clear that there's a second ebony pin. That's quite odd - also the break in the purfling is uncharacteristic. Maybe there's been a button repair at some point and someone thought they should "refresh" the pin.

[Jeffrey Holmes]

1 hour ago, martin swan said:

There are two pins - I thought the pin at the top was strangely visible for such an out of focus photo, but now it's clear that there's a second ebony pin. That's quite odd - also the break in the purfling is uncharacteristic. Maybe there's been a button repair at some point and someone thought they should "refresh" the pin.

Yup. Mystery. I've seen weird stuff like that when the purpling has been pushed out of it's channel and someone cuts to allow it to sit flat again as well.  

We'll either have to wait until someone with chops sees it "in the flesh", or we get better photos outside and in...   

I don't mind mysteries...

 

[germain]

I saw on social media that Monsieur Rampal makes occasional visits to a LA shop for valuations. Perhaps something for him to look at. Even if not Vuillaume he will know what it is... (given the instrument is in the US)

[Jeffrey Holmes]

13 hours ago, germain said:

I saw on social media that Monsieur Rampal makes occasional visits to a LA shop for valuations. Perhaps something for him to look at. Even if not Vuillaume he will know what it is... (given the instrument is in the US)

I believe reg is in the UK...