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Bonnie Campbell
06-18-2007, 8:12 PM
Okay, more than likely this ISN'T a Stradivarious (sp?) Tried emailing some appraisers (none around local I can find) and never heard a peep out of any. Any thoughts on this? We know my husbands uncle used it around the mid to late 1800's 'singing for his supper' in LA. But haven't the foggiest idea when or how he got it.


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Brian Weick
06-18-2007, 8:17 PM
I am sure they will be able to either help you or refer you to someone that can appraise the violin for you - http://www.nbss.org/Programs/index.asp?LinkID=80&ModuleID=17&pageaction=ViewSinglePublic. it reads Antonius Stradiuarius- only it's a u instead of the V ~ the 1749 could be the year. Looks like e very well cared for violin :)

I hope this helps
Brian

Bonnie Campbell
06-18-2007, 8:27 PM
Thanks Brian! I emailed them. Now I'll see if anyone responds.

Actually the violin has been repaired a couple times (once by an idiot). It has the uncles history attached to it, so it's special even if 'just' a violin.

Pat Germain
06-18-2007, 11:12 PM
I'm pretty sure there was a violin just like that on Antiques Roadshow a few years ago. No, it wasn't the multi-million-dollar variety of Stratovarius. It was just a generic violin. Apparenlty, lots of violin makers used the name Stratovarius, or something similar.

This isn't to suggest your violin in worthless. It sounds like it has lots of sentimental value. It seems to be quite old as well which should also make it somewhat valuable.

Craig Feuerzeig
06-19-2007, 7:33 AM
Do you have the bow? I know nothing about violins, but everytime I watch antiques roadshow, the violins are worthless, but the bows are worth a fortune. :confused:

Bonnie Campbell
06-19-2007, 7:38 AM
Yep, it still has a bow ( I think that's supposed to be the original too) The case has a lot of wear, bug and moisture damage. Just amazes me the violin looks so good still.

Mitchell Andrus
06-19-2007, 8:59 AM
I play in a band with saxes, accordions, banjos and a violin. I had an interesting talk with our violin player one day. He said every instrument maker has/had a "Stradivarious" model.... My son even has a Stadivarious model trumpet from the Bach Company. "Stradivarious" means nothing on a day-to-day basis, especially in an old violin (unless it's a real Strad).

His violin is well documented (it's history is known over the past 130 years) and dates to 1774. He paid about $800.00 for it about 20 years ago. For insurance purposes he had it appraised last year. It's value shot up to astounding $6,500.00 - My 8 year old saxophone is worth more. There are tons of 250 year old violins by minor makers out there. Some ARE worth a few bucks. Some aren't.

Cliff Rohrabacher
06-19-2007, 10:11 AM
Contact you local CHUBB insurance representative. Talk about a policy for the violin and ask whether they know of any reputable appraisers.

It may not be the $500,000.00 Strad but it may be a $50,000.00 Violin of one of his students or just plain valuable in it's own right.

Ya won't know till ya go to a good appraiser.

Burt Alcantara
06-19-2007, 12:02 PM
Firstly, hold the back up to a light and move the fiddle around. Does the back ripple? Nothing subtle here. You should see waves of ripple. If you don't it isn't even a good fake or it's worn to the damage point.

Secondly, copy down every word on the label. Usually, there is something there that will give away the copiest's name. There are some "fakes" out there that can be worth over $100,000 because they play well. There are fakes that are so good the demand for them is very high.

How many people can afford a high end violin? For the mere mortals, owning a good playing fake can open doors.

Take the fiddle to a violin repair shop. Don't go to the downtown music store because you will get bad advice if any at all. If you think you really have something and you have a local symphony orchestra in your town, track on a few of the violinists and ask their opinion. Just wait at the stage door after a rehearsal. Don't bother them after a performance.

If they give you the nod, ask them where they take their fiddles for repair. Don't pay any money yet. If the repair place gives you the nod or asks if it's for sale, then locate a real violin appraiser because you may have something.

As far as Antiques Roadshow, most of them really don't know their ass from a donkey. What you don't hear about them is how wrong they are most of the time.

Don't ask how I know this.

Burt

Jeff Bower
06-19-2007, 3:40 PM
Firstly, hold the back up to a light and move the fiddle around. Does the back ripple? Nothing subtle here. You should see waves of ripple. If you don't it isn't even a good fake or it's worn to the damage point.

Secondly, copy down every word on the label. Usually, there is something there that will give away the copiest's name. There are some "fakes" out there that can be worth over $100,000 because they play well. There are fakes that are so good the demand for them is very high.

How many people can afford a high end violin? For the mere mortals, owning a good playing fake can open doors.

Take the fiddle to a violin repair shop. Don't go to the downtown music store because you will get bad advice if any at all. If you think you really have something and you have a local symphony orchestra in your town, track on a few of the violinists and ask their opinion. Just wait at the stage door after a rehearsal. Don't bother them after a performance.

If they give you the nod, ask them where they take their fiddles for repair. Don't pay any money yet. If the repair place gives you the nod or asks if it's for sale, then locate a real violin appraiser because you may have something.

As far as Antiques Roadshow, most of them really don't know their ass from a donkey. What you don't hear about them is how wrong they are most of the time.

Don't ask how I know this.

Burt
Burt....I know you said not to, but I have to ask....how do you know this? I won't be offended if you don't respond, but it sounds as if you have a good story to tell

Burt Alcantara
06-24-2007, 3:04 PM
Jeff,
Here's the story as I can remember. There are large parts missing.

My mother insisted that my sister and I always play a musical instrument. My sister was the much better of us. We both started on the piano. She surpassed her teacher in a matter of months, this at about 7 years old.

When she was about 9 or so, my mother foisted the violin on her. My mother played the violin as a child on a local radio station in Baltimore in the mid '20s.

My sister did not like the violin. Neither did my father, myself or the cats. We all ran out of the house when she practiced. Fortunately, this was a very brief period of time. The violin was cased and forgotten.

Many years later, my parents decided to move from lower Manhattan to Brooklyn where they found a much larger apartment with a huge balcony. During this transition, I helped pack. That's when the violin popped up.

I opened the case and inspected the violin. From what I could read of the label the maker was Guarnerious with a 1700s date. I could not believe that my mother found a rare and valued violin for $8.00 from a pawn shop under the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the time, I was a percussion major at the old Juilliard on 122nd street. I knew a number of excellent violinists so I asked them how to determine what the violin was worth.

The first test was the ripple test. I held it to the light and man did that thing ripple! The next was to write down everything I could see on the label. The label looked ancient, was obviously hand written with the date written in a different hand. There was something on the label that indicated that it was a fake, but perhaps an exceptional fake.

All of the violinists I spoke with agreed that the maker was indeed one of the best of the best "fakers," that the violin might be worth 5 figures or more. I brought it to them. They all suggested I go to a particular appraiser.

When I called the man to describe the violin he told me to bring it in. I asked how much it would cost to appraise it. He gave me a number which made me drop the phone. End of that story.

More years pass. My parents leave Brooklyn for Beverly Hills, Florida. Yes, such a place exists. A very tiny town about 50 miles north of Tampa.

After a very long time, my father had died and my mother began to fall frequently. I began to worry. Found out she would fall and lay on the floor for days. I convinced her to move to Oakland, CA where I was living at the time.

Went down to FL to help her pack. Once again, the violin popped up. This time I got very excited. I opened the case up and there was an inch layer of dust, dirt and dead bugs. Underneath were scraps of wood that resembled a violin. I just stood there for minutes watching dollars fly out of the case.

Gathered myself up and threw the whole thing in the garbage.

Bob Aliano
06-24-2007, 5:47 PM
The label appears to read the year 1749 which is interesting because Stradivarius died in 1737. I'd take it to an antique dealer for an appraisal to be sure.

Cliff Rohrabacher
06-24-2007, 8:46 PM
As far as Antiques Roadshow, most of them really don't know their ass from a donkey. What you don't hear about them is how wrong they are most of the time.

Don't ask how I know this.

Burt

How do you know this?