GUSOLM Posted November 2, 2022 Report Share Posted November 2, 2022 (edited) Hi! I’m very curious to hear any thoughts that could help identify this cello. I bought it this summer because of it’s surprisingly rich sound and fantastic response. The cello is pretty light so I think it’s built thin. The angle of the neck is also more “up right” than I’m used to so the bridge is lower. I know that can be fixed but I’m not sure if it would do any good for the instrument. I’ve noticed that the neck block is kind of small (see my attempt to take a photo of it below). But it doesn’t seem to be a so called “through neck”. One other thing I’ve noticed is the placement of the small “cuts” in the f-holes. From what I can read on the label it says “B… De Lorenzi, Fece in Vicenza anno 1876”. I’m well aware that’s most likely not real! Many thanks! /Gustav Edited November 2, 2022 by GUSOLM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baroquecello Posted November 2, 2022 Report Share Posted November 2, 2022 The Rib corners look like a built on the back construction method. I'm wondering if the cello has been revarnished as the box shows several dark spots, possibly traces of darker varnish. I find the scroll looks unusually tidy and has no dark spots, so it might not originally belong to the cello. My working theory is that the neck was damaged and replaced, because of the small surface left for the neck construction in BOB instruments, a small top block was installed. The repairman found it easier to revarnish the whole thing than to varnish the scroll similarly to the body. Probably Markneukirchen/Bohemia, 1875 could be right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUSOLM Posted November 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2022 Thank you @baroquecello for very interesting input! This what you say about the varnish could definitely make sense. I’ve seen it the other way around a bit since the most obvious places with dark spots (marked on picture below) is right where there has been repaired cracks. So my thought was that they didn’t manage to match the original bright varnish when they repaired it. About the neck, that’s also highly possible, but wouldn’t you be able to see tracks from a different neck block or somehow from a repair like that? Again thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobsaunders Posted November 2, 2022 Report Share Posted November 2, 2022 A cello from the end of the 19th C from the Markneukirchen/Schönbach/Grazlitz area (vulgo "the usual"). The varnish looks alright to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUSOLM Posted November 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2022 Thank you @jacobsaunders! Interesting to hear! Now since you both mentioned Makneukirchen as a possible area, could you maybe tell me something specific that leads you to that conclusion? I’m a pretty experienced cellist but my interest for the actual instruments and luthiers is pretty new so I have a lot of questions! I’m also wondering how you can tell for sure that the cello is built on the back? Does the back never opens up then? all the best! /Gustav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobsaunders Posted November 3, 2022 Report Share Posted November 3, 2022 2 hours ago, GUSOLM said: Thank you @jacobsaunders! Interesting to hear! Now since you both mentioned Makneukirchen as a possible area, could you maybe tell me something specific that leads you to that conclusion? I’m a pretty experienced cellist but my interest for the actual instruments and luthiers is pretty new so I have a lot of questions! I’m also wondering how you can tell for sure that the cello is built on the back? Does the back never opens up then? all the best! /Gustav one can tell, not least by the long rib corners. Markneukirchen/Schönbach/Grazlitz area isn’t a “possible area”, but an absolutely certain matter of fact, which one can recognise across the street, since there are tens of thousands of them. The varnish is also typical of the area, and was probably originally of a more reddish shade, the red colouring agent having faded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUSOLM Posted November 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 I see, thanks again! @jacobsaunders Last question: how are the possibilities of tracking the actual luthier from this area? Or is it even considered irrelevant on these instruments? Another thing that struck me with the cello is that the arching of both back and front is doing a little “dip” right by the edges all the way around (tried to show it with the photo below). It looks really nice to me anyway but don’t know if that tells us anything… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobsaunders Posted November 4, 2022 Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 The system worked such that hundreds of artisans worked for a dealer (Verleger) who supplied the world market. You can at best hope to find a name of a dealer, the names of the people who actually did the woodwork are not known. I didn’t understand your arching question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoGo Posted November 4, 2022 Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 I guess he meant the channeling around perimeter of back is quite pronounced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUSOLM Posted November 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2022 1 hour ago, HoGo said: I guess he meant the channeling around perimeter of back is quite pronounced. Thanks HoGo, that’s probably what I mean yes! Found it hard to describe even in Swedish, haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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