How To Appropriately Appraise A Vintage Violin

By Jose McDonald


One of the most authentic sounds you will ever experience from a musical instrument is that of a violin. Classical violins are therefore some of the most sort after instruments in the world today. This is partly due to their meticulous crafting and the value placed in the manufacturer. A vintage violin is therefore a challenge to find. Since there exist imitations, you need to find a way of isolating the antique class from modern and imitated ones. Here are expert tips to guide you.

Check the name or label of the crafts man. Some of renowned makers included Stainer, Amati and Guarneri, whose labels and unique designs are visible on the instrument. In the absence of these signs, it is an indication that you are getting an imitation. In fact, some of these violins came in limited series with numbers. They can be traced and thus confirm whether it is a genuine one or an imitation.

The label on an instrument will give a hint whether it is authentic. To see the label, you need to use the f-hole. The details of manufacture including the producer and dates are included there. The label will be as old as the instrument. For new labels, it could be an attempt to dupe you since both the instrument and label age together.

Check the Made in tag. The law before 1914 required that items being imported into the US be marked with their countries of origin. This means that such items would have a single name like Germany, Italy and Czechoslovakia, etc. However, violins, among other commodities, imported afterwards would bear the name Made in. Such names were also to be written in English.

You can judge your violin by checking on the quality of varnish used. Vintage instruments used a special quality that never seemed to dry. This varnish is oil based and very easy to detect because it would penetrate deep into the wood. The varnish used today dries up easily and never goes deep into the wood. The possibility of flakes and chipping is also very high. Such low quality varnish will affect the appearance of your instrument.

If you have any doubt about the quality of your violin, contact an expert to evaluate it before buying. Professionals are very accurate since they have sold violins for years or are maestro violinists. With a second opinion, your fears can be confirmed or dispelled. Where they also doubt, they will direct you on how to deepen your verification.

Buy your instrument from a store whose authenticity is verifiable. A store that is recognized for antique instruments will be more reliable compared to the use of backdoor vendors. In an attempt to protect their name and business, they conduct due diligence on all instruments that they sell. Further, you can sue a store or seek refund if you realized that the details provided were false.

Consider the quality of other attachments accompanying the instrument. They include the bow and casing. Check on the quality of string and ensure that your bow is not broken. Check on casing and storage to avoid violins that have been damaged by mites or elements like water.




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