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wakefield - Posted - 09/29/2018: 04:53:09
Hello all,
There is this fiddle that was found in the basement. I never checked the label/maker as I am new to playing and the instrument in general. My friend checked it last night and freaked out thinking it was a very antique and rare fiddle.
Can anyone check the photos and advise me whether to take it to get appraised or not?
The name is giuseppe guarnerius fecit cremona
tpquinn - Posted - 09/29/2018: 05:46:00
You'll probably need better photos for anyone to judge. Check over over on maestronet.com's forum The Pegbox for how to shoot a fiddle. Might want to post there also for more opinions.
And unless your friend is an expert, don't get your hopes up on there being much $ value even if "antique and rare". If it sounds good, take delight in playing a fiddle that folk were enjoying the sound of long before the tsunami of electronic distractions started crashing over the current generations. From my experience, that's where the value may lay.
UsuallyPickin - Posted - 09/29/2018: 05:56:05
What Pat said …. keep in mind the bow, if there is one , can be as valuable or more so than the fiddle. R/
DeamhanFola - Posted - 09/29/2018: 12:15:36
As others have said, more definite proof would be more possible only with a physical examination, but it’s highly likely that it’s a German copy from late 19th-early 20th century. Labels don’t necessarily mean much in the world of violins, not just because of outright forgeries, but also because inexpensive replicas were commonly sold with replica labels in them—not with the intention to defraud a purchaser, but just to be as true to the original as possible.
That said, it’s worth bringing into a respected luthier| appraiser’s shop, if only to get it set up properly (rather than expecting to not be in the 99.9999 percent who walk away disappointed). I reckon any pro worth their salt will be able to tell pretty instantly. Be aware that you might be faced with a smirk when you walk into the shop. I spoke with one luthier this summer who said on average he gets 4 or 5 punters a month coming through his door thinking they’ve found a 300 year-old lost treasure, only to walk away with the knowledge that it’s a 90 year-old German or Bohemian copy.
ChickenMan - Posted - 09/29/2018: 14:46:30
Looks pretty much like a German 'factory' fiddle from the turn of the century or thereabouts. The finish doesn't look all that special. Might sound great though; who knows?
fidlpat - Posted - 09/29/2018: 21:40:43
You see a label like that it just means it's built on a Guarneri pattern. Might be a decent fiddle. Odd the back of the neck is painted.
Earworm - Posted - 10/02/2018: 05:30:59
It may depend on the reasons you have of wanting to assess its value. Since you already play, I'm guessing that you plan to play it - that sounds like the best thing that could happen to this fiddle in a long time. If it's been sitting for years, it will require some TLC from a good luthier, though, and possibly a little investment. It may be a very nice sounding instrument, which is its real value.
If you plan to use it to get-rich-quick, though, prepare for disappointment. You can certainly get it appraised, and finding it a good home may be worth the effort, but the main thing is to be realistic about its value, which includes its current condition. "Old" is not the same thing as "rare."
I'm curious to hear more about it's story, though. How did you just "find" it in the basement? Maybe I'd better take another look around my own basement to see if anything new like this has popped up ;)
Edited by - Earworm on 10/02/2018 05:32:37
'German fiddle' 2 days
'What's it called?' 2 days
