yoyogogo - Posted - 06/20/2024:  20:31:20

quite tempted. Any thoughts please if this might be worth it? thank you kindly for your help. WIth the image of the back, how is this back compared to a flamed back please (for education reason here :)?

sorry i was in a bit of a rush and i forgot to attach images. so please find attached. it was bought from a reputable shop in 2000 for $1500nzd, so after inflation calculation its $2700nzd in current currency :)

Edited by - yoyogogo on 06/21/2024 15:32:00

 

Earworm - Posted - 06/21/2024:  10:00:11

I don’t see a picture- would you like to try again? Labels are notoriously wrong and misleading. I believe the Amati style simply means it has a one piece back. The quality is in the instrument itself, not the label. Others will chime in, I’m sure.

DougD - Posted - 06/21/2024:  10:54:56

Earworm - It's apparently wearing a cloak of invisibilty. Amati instruments, which are very rare, were made by several members of the Amati family of Cremona. It has nothing to do with one piece backs. The National Music Museum has several Amati instruments which can be viewed online and only one has a one piece back - the others are two pieces.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 06/21/2024:  11:34:09

Pictures would help, but I have to say it’s a little amusing that the description  suggests that Nicolo was making violins in his grave.

Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 06/21/2024 11:34:47

DougD - Posted - 06/21/2024:  11:52:35

Here's a page about Nicolò Amati, with pictures of some of his beautiful instruments: tarisio.com/cozio-archive/brow...ker_ID=12
As Rich implied, he died in 1684, aged 87. Perhaps this violin was made by Saint Nicholas Amati, not Nicolò.

yoyogogo - Posted - 06/21/2024:  15:31:28

sorry i was in a bit of a rush and i forgot to attach images. so please find attached. it was bought from a reputable shop in 2000 for $1500nzd, so after inflation calculation its $2700nzd in current currency :)

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 06/22/2024:  04:37:07

It looks to be the “usual” old German trade fiddle. The pictures aren’t the best, but from what I can see, condition looks to be decent, so the price doesn’t seem unreasonable. In my area a Markneukirchen violin in good condition is easily $5000 at retail, and a more plain one can easily reach $3000 as long as condition is good.



I’m not familiar with the NZ market, which may differ a bit.



The label is just a typical fake. It doesn’t tell anything about the instrument. There were some old Germans that were labeled Amati that actually did have some characteristics that were made in a nod to the idea of Amati, but many more had the label because it was the closest one at hand in the shop that sold it.

The varnish is heavily antiqued, especially on the back. This is not uncommon among violins that have a fairly plain back, as the antiquing gives the eye more to see if the flame is not particularly impressive. The amount of flame in the wood doesn't determine the tonal quality of the wood, so it doesn't mean the instrument will be any worse or better-sounding. However, it's just natural for people to enjoy wood that has a beautiful flame, so that wood is more sought after among luthiers and violin buyers. 

Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 06/22/2024 04:46:11

yoyogogo - Posted - 06/22/2024:  05:38:20

The lovely owner us a piano teacher and used the violin to learn with an ex nz symphony orchestra player. She bought from a very reputable music shop that still exist today which gives me good confidence that the violin should be of good quality. I will get it next weekend when I go down and apparently it should nit need anything done to it which is great. I bought for 480usd so fingers cross the tone will be lovely and it will serve me well

To me it's quite an expensive buy and I still have no idea why I bid on it. But after chatting to the lovely owner who is 80 years old, I feel alot more onfident in the quality if the instrument and hopefully it will justify the spending.

I will go to aucklahd in August and will bring a few violins up fir free verbal appraisal. So that will be interesting.

DougD - Posted - 06/22/2024:  07:15:28

Did the bow come with it? Hard to tell from the pictures but it might be a pretty good one.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 06/22/2024:  12:12:03

I have a Klo(t)z that was made when he was in his grave. So not that unbelievable....Maybe luthiers carry on in the after life.?

Nice Fiddle while it held up , Shook me to my boots. But sadly came apart again after a year or so, after my amateur repair efforts.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 06/22/2024:  12:37:02

And an Amati !!!

wrench13 - Posted - 06/23/2024:  10:36:25

Pete for reals? Looks about what one would expect on a fiddle that old. Bass bar down the middle?? What there is of it.

wrench13 - Posted - 06/23/2024:  10:46:32

Oh! THats a repair or joint reinforcement?

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 06/23/2024:  20:40:25

quote:

---

Originally posted by wrench13

Oh! THats a repair or joint reinforcement?

---

The photos are of the back. It's someone's attempt to reinforce the center seam, either to repair an opened center seam or to prevent its occurrence.

What's of more interest to me is the channnel cut into the back for the ribs which demonstrates the mode of construction of the violin. It's a shame this instrument was so badly brutalized. 

yoyogogo - Posted - 06/29/2024:  03:38:21

I have the violin in my hand so hefe arr more images. Much lighter colour than I thought.

The sound is warm and mellow but has good projection. It hasn't been played in 3 years and yet it was only slightly out of tune. I do wonder if a new set of steing would help.

The label is interesting as the text is actually baked into the wood. So it's not a paper print label. Any idea please?

Any thought on this please.  Worth investing in a professional setup?

Background story. The owner biught it 23 years ago for 1500nzd from a specialist music shop thay still exist today and many violin players still go to him for repairs and sales. Inflation means 2900nzd today. 80 years old now so can't play anymore.

Thank you