Violin repair advice - hole in soundbox

[Bouser]

Hello,
 

I was helping my friend empty out the house of his recently-deceased father. In the attic, I found a broken violin in an old wooden case. I have no idea if it was valuable (I doubt it), but it looks mostly ok, although it probably needs to be cleaned and refinished.

The only major problem that I can see is the cracks along the bottom of the soundbox. What really concerns me is the big chunk that's missing. Is that reparable?

Thanks in advance

[FiddleDoug]

3 hours ago, Bouser said:

Hello,
 

I was helping my friend empty out the house of his recently-deceased father. In the attic, I found a broken violin in an old wooden case. I have no idea if it was valuable (I doubt it), but it looks mostly ok, although it probably needs to be cleaned and refinished.

The only major problem that I can see is the cracks along the bottom of the soundbox. What really concerns me is the big chunk that's missing. Is that reparable?

Thanks in advance

What you see is probably not what a trained luthier would see. There are many other things that a luthier would be looking at, such as neck angle, pegs, fingerboard, and a bunch of other things. The damage that you're showing here would probably be well over $1000 to repair. I attend professional workshops every year, and that would be a good challenge for someone attending a rib repair workshop.

[jacobsaunders]

3 hours ago, Bouser said:

Hello,
 

What really concerns me is the big chunk that's missing. Is that reparable?

 

You should check that the "chunk" isn't swimming around inside

[Bouser]

1 minute ago, jacobsaunders said:

You should check that the "chunk" isn't swimming around inside

Well I just checked the case, and wouldn't you know it, the chunk was in the lining!

[Brad Dorsey]

5 hours ago, Bouser said:

…Is that reparable?…

Yes.

But the violin would have to be a lot more valuable than the typical attic violin to make it worth repairing.  If you put up more pictures, we might be able to tell you if it is worth repairing.  Follow the instructions in the “How to Photograph an Instrument for Identification Purposes” discussion.

The repair would be easier if the missing piece were available.

[HoGo]

I think the missing piece was eaten off by worms. Looks like the ribs show worm tracks and are disintegrating into small islands between worm tunnels.

[Andrew Victor]

I agree that it is probably not worth repairing. However, the 1877 cello I was given in 1949 had cracks and small holes in the ribs that I patched with scotch tape for years. I learned and performed on that cello for years , finally had it repaired by a friend and it is still in my family. (Last performance on that cello was around 2015, I have acquired others, in 1964 and 2005.)

If ALL the parts are still there and you are curious it might be worth the cost of a set of strings just to see if it works, after you tape over the hole.

[jacobsaunders]

22 hours ago, Bouser said:

Well I just checked the case, and wouldn't you know it, the chunk was in the lining!

careful not to loose it. That should make things easier! 

[FiddleDoug]

23 hours ago, Bouser said:

Well I just checked the case, and wouldn't you know it, the chunk was in the lining!

Having the missing piece helps a lot! We'd still have to see the rest of the instrument to see if there are any other major repairs that need to be done.

[Bouser]

Hello and thanks for all the input!

I've added some pictures for identification but don't get your hopes up. There is no chinrest, no fingerboard, no strings, and no label (as far as I can see). There is a saddle, endpin, tailpiece, bridge and pegs in the case, but they're not mounted on the violin.

I'm open to being corrected, but my first impression was that it wasn't worth anything. That being said, I would hate to throw it out. In an ideal world, the violin might have a second life as a student instrument, like Andrew's cello.

[FiddleDoug]

To have that professionally restored would be a very money losing proposition. The only time that I would justify doing that would be id the client had a very strong emotional connection to the instrument (Grandma's prized violin ). Since you don't have that connection, it would cost big bucks (Way over $1000) to have it restored. Since I sometimes look for instruments like that as "Guinea pigs" to work on in the workshops that I participate in, it would be worth postage cost to me.

[JacksonMaberry]

I'd have to agree, though it does look like a nicer than usual "usual". Solid edge work, arching looks sound. Might be the start of a new hobby for OP, or should he donate it to a workshop, it could see second life as a student fiddle. 

[Blank face]

4 hours ago, Bouser said:

Hello and thanks for all the input!

I've added some pictures for identification but don't get your hopes up. There is no chinrest, no fingerboard, no strings, and no label (as far as I can see). There is a saddle, endpin, tailpiece, bridge and pegs in the case, but they're not mounted on the violin.

I'm open to being corrected, but my first impression was that it wasn't worth anything. That being said, I would hate to throw it out. In an ideal world, the violin might have a second life as a student instrument, like Andrew's cello.

This seems to be a nice Mittenwald Verleger violin from the late 19th century. What it is worth or "worth the repair/more/less" depends of a lot of factors.

[Bouser]

59 minutes ago, Blank face said:

This seems to be a nice Mittenwald Verleger violin from the late 19th century. What it is worth or "worth the repair/more/less" depends of a lot of factors.

If you don't mind my asking, how did you make the identification?

3 hours ago, FiddleDoug said:

To have that professionally restored would be a very money losing proposition. The only time that I would justify doing that would be id the client had a very strong emotional connection to the instrument (Grandma's prized violin ). Since you don't have that connection, it would cost big bucks (Way over $1000) to have it restored. Since I sometimes look for instruments like that as "Guinea pigs" to work on in the workshops that I participate in, it would be worth postage cost to me.

Well, I'm in Europe and I've already had some bad experiences shipping things to and from the US. Let me see what it would cost and I'll get back to you.

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, Bouser said:

To have that professionally restored would be a very money losing proposition. The only time that I would justify doing that would be id the client had a very strong emotional connection to the instrument (Grandma's prized violin ).

We mustn't forget that family oral history suggests that Grandma was an internationally famed violinist, or that she and her violin went down on the Titanic. 

All my ancestors were famous too.

[jacobsaunders]

looks like a candidate for a new replacement rib

[VicM]

5 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

looks like a candidate for a new replacement rib

How much can cost such a repair where you are ? Done by you, for example ?

[jacobsaunders]

4 minutes ago, VicM said:

How much can cost such a repair where you are ? Done by you, for example ?

I'm busy thanks

[VicM]

Just now, jacobsaunders said:

I'm busy thanks

I just meant as an example - I was not thinking of you to do it. If you could just give some approximate figure, please. 

[geoff1954]

It seems to be woodworm damage. Please check that there are no flight holes or runs elsewhere in the violin. 

[David Burgess]

8 minutes ago, VicM said:

I just meant as an example - I was not thinking of you to do it. If you could just give some approximate figure, please. 

I'd put a duct tape (gaffer tape) repair at around 50 bucks.

[jacobsaunders]

13 minutes ago, VicM said:

I just meant as an example - I was not thinking of you to do it. If you could just give some approximate figure, please. 

You will get me in trouble, saying what other colleagues can charge for something

One wants to always retain the original rib, but sometimes it’s hopeless and a new one is the order of the day. I made 3 new ribs for this one https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/354278-johann-georg-leeb-pressburg/&do=findComment&comment=978658

[JacksonMaberry]

3 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

I'd put a duct tape (gaffer tape) repair at around 50 bucks.

Hell, I'd do a bondo fill and paint some hotrod flames over it for $75.

[VicM]

5 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

You will get me in trouble, saying what other colleagues can charge for something

One wants to always retain the original rib, but sometimes it’s hopeless and a new one is the order of the day. I made 3 new ribs for this one https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/354278-johann-georg-leeb-pressburg/&do=findComment&comment=978658

Thank you. I understand...

[VicM]

9 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

I'd put a duct tape (gaffer tape) repair at around 50 bucks.

Sold, if you sign it.