I found a Stradivarius in my garage !!!

NickInMesa · #1 03-01-2009, 10:38 PM

Wow, I can't believe it, my late wife's grand-father's violin was a recession buster all along.

I know it was in poor shape (and it is: nut and tailpiece missing, 2 tuning pegs destroyed) and I just wanted to look at it to see if I could fix it.

Right there, inside, it says "Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1716" and there is even a stamp with a cross that reads "AS" as in "Antonius Stradiuarius"!!!

Ok, I know, not a fart chance in the world this is the real deal, and you can tell, it's not really Strad quality. A nicely crafted instrument nonetheless, but a couple details tell you this is probably not something manufactured by the most famous luthier ever. Obvious forgery.

I read that some of these fakes were actually nicely crafted instruments and that there was some value in them.

Anybody know where I can send it on the West coast to get it appraised.

bassteban · #2 03-01-2009, 10:43 PM

Isn't stamping a violin *Stradivarius* roughly equal to calling any J pickup-equipped bass a *Jazz?* For example, I bought a 4/4 violin for $20 at a garage sale, put $100 or so into repair, setup & restringing; It's fully carved, sounds nice & has a *Stradivarius* label inside. I'm told it's worth about $200.

NickInMesa · #3 03-01-2009, 10:57 PM

Yes, I know it's got a value because it's old. It is probably around 100 years old, from what I have been told.

I will need to get a new nut, tailpiece, chinpiece, pegs and strings and have the two bows restringed as well.

I do not know if I should get it done or do it myself. It does not seem too complicated.

I just want to fix it to make my mother-in-law happy.

Her father immigrated from Germany, and although he was very educated and could play violin like a champ, he had to do manual labor and lost 2 fingers in a band saw, then had to stop playing. Pretty sad, uh?

I guess he took the violin with him when he immigrated.

Fab_Superlative · #4 03-02-2009, 05:49 PM

NickInMesa,
The Chimney's Violin shop,holds an annual workshop in Tucson.
That may be a good opportunity for you to have the piece appraised.
Here is the Link.

Just click on the 2009 workshop dates link on their page.

Hope this helps...the piece may have some value.

NickInMesa · #5 03-02-2009, 05:58 PM

Thanks, I appreciate the tip!

SteveC · #6 03-02-2009, 07:21 PM

Virtually every Violin made has a marking of some kind referring to Stradivarius on it. Mostly because all violins made today are based on a Strad so...

NickInMesa · #7 03-02-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

Virtually every Violin made has a marking of some kind referring to Stradivarius on it. Mostly because all violins made today are based on a Strad so...

It is actually forgery.

It's a famous scheme conducted in the late 19th and early 20th century in Germany and Austria, where they were making violins which they claimed were Strads.

Probably due to economic hardship.

It would be like making a guitar and writing "Fender" on it. You know what would happen.

Otherwise, yes, you are right, modern violins are based on a Strad design and the best luthery school is in Cremona, Stradivarius' hometown.

Ed Fuqua · #8 03-03-2009, 11:55 AM

Not really forgery, cause none of these violins are EVER gonna pass for a real Strad. Just like me taking a napkin and drawing a smiley face in the middle and a 10 in each corner is not counterfeiting. Stradivarius did not have his name copyrighted (since they didn't really have identity branding in those days and he didn't have Disney's lawyers) there is a long and continuing tradition of stamping this public domain intellectual property into anything vaguely violin shaped...

The other thing you want to be careful for is OLD does not really = VALUABLE. A crappy violin is a crappy violin, old or new. And there are plenty of crappy, beginner level violins that are still around - about 8 years ago the nephew/heir of my deceased next door neighbor had a pile of 30 or so in the trash; he had a music school in the building in the 1920s and most of the violins were late 1880s. But craptastic violin shaped objects.

But (and here's the thing) a number of the bows were actually really great sticks and were worth some digit. So definitely make sure that any bows sitting around get appraised.

NickInMesa · #9 03-03-2009, 12:40 PM

Well, we will disagree on this one, because selling a violin to an unsuspecting crowd by claiming it was made by the big guy is forgery to me.

Any lawyer in the room?

It did come with two bows. I will post some photos, you'll let me know.

RED5 · #10 03-03-2009, 01:35 PM

I saw this transpire on "Antiques Roadshow" (hey quit it now, my wife makes me watch it). A woman had 2 violins one was clearly marked "Stradavarius" and one looking like the redheaded step child. She thought she had hit gold with the Strad. Turns out, the runt one was a real find! Something about the builder made it near priceless. The clearly marked Strad? was a forgery. Not a malicious one but it seemed that sometime in the past violins were marked to be "In the Style Of" Stradavarius. A current reference might be a Fender Relic. Imagine how that's gonna play out 100 years on? Innocuous, but misleading years later. Thanks you and good evening.

SteveC · #11 03-03-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RED5

Not a malicious one but it seemed that sometime in the past violins were marked to be "In the Style Of" Stradavarius. Innocuous, but misleading years later. Thanks you and good evening.

That's what I was getting at.

NickInMesa · #12 03-03-2009, 01:48 PM

Well, mine is not written "In the style of...", the label clearly tries to mislead that it was made by Stradivarius in Cremona in 1716.

RED5 · #13 03-03-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Well, mine is not written "In the style of...", the label clearly tries to mislead that it was made by Stradivarius in Cremona in 1716.

It's my impression, as it was explained to me, that it was implied in most cases, explicit in others. And I'm sure people fell for it,either way.

NickInMesa · #14 03-03-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RED5

It's my impression, as it was explained to me, that it was implied in most cases, explicit in others. And I'm sure people fell for it,either way.

I had heard of this story before. When I saw the name inside I knew I did not find a real Strad but a real German-made late 19th century violin, which can have some value or not.

The violin is not too bad, there are a few things that show it was made on the cheap but it is not in such a bad shape.

The wood used for the body is nice and responds nicely when I thump with a fingernail.

The fingerboard (replacement or not) was glued in a not so pro fashion.

I may have it appraised just to see.

Blueszilla · #15 03-03-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Anybody know where I can send it on the West coast to get it appraised.

Not on the west coast, but they might be able to help.

http://www.robertsonviolins.com/index.html