lundi 14 août 2017

How To Appraise A Vintage Violin Appropriately

By Jose McDonald


The sound of a violin is one of the most authentic among stringed musical instruments. Some of the most valued violins are the classical series that featured meticulously hand crafted instruments. They capture passion and authentic sound. Getting a vintage violin is a huge challenge especially with determining its authenticity. How can you distinguish the classical from the modern violins?

Check the label or name of the manufacturer or craftsman. Among the popular classical craftsmen or labels are Amati, Guarneri and Stainer. Their labels and designs were unique and were used to identify instruments. Should an instrument miss one of these classical labels, it needs to be scrutinized further. In fact, some of these classical violins were produced in limited editions. Some of the editions can be accounted for to the last number.

Check the label to establish if an instrument is authentic or not. These details can be seen through the f-hole. The details included are date of manufacture and the brand. The age of label used should also match that of the instrument. It is impossible to have a new label on an antique instrument.

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.

The shop where you buy the instrument provides a hint of authenticity. Is the store recognized for selling vintage instruments or are you using backdoor vendors? A store that is recognized has a name to protect and will rarely offer a low quality product. Further, in case you verify and realize that you were duped, you can seek recourse since the business is registered.

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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