Stradivarius - Violin
 

...........are the copy of Stradivarius worth anything?
Tell me only good news. I want to retire on this one
I have recently aquired.

Thanks K.T.
1973 911 E 2.4 MFI
1983 911SC

Would a copy of Porsche be worth a lot? I know this will start a "clone" thread.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7337799768
Oh wait... you said you only wanted good news. Please do not click on the link above.

Only if it is made of 500 year old wood. Old Strad got his sound not from craftsmanship (although it was excellent) nor from any finishes or special shellac. It was the wood. The "global cooling" of that era had slower growing, denser trees. The wood itself is the key...

I don't know it could jump from $38.98 to a zillion. It has four minutes yet! It will be a short retirement.

It says made in GERMANY. How do I test for 500 year old wood.

I don't want to be learning to play the blues on this thing.

Thanks K.T.
1973 911E 2.4 MFI
1983 911 SC

If memory serves, most modern violins are copies of the Strad. Some use better wood/finishes than others. Do you have a local orchestra?

Take it to an appraiser or any competent luthier. But Groesbeck is correct, many modern violins are based on the stradivarius specs and will have a label visible through the f-hole stating the same.

U are from Kansas....to answer your question Carbon Dating...

I am not into collecting Musical instruments.....I had an aquaintence that made some serious Bank by buying and reselling old Violins, Cellos, etc ...especially 18th century Italian....she was a Celloist for the Riverside Philharmonic and taught Music at UCR....

You wana make a small fortune in collecting an area U know nothing about.....then my advice is to start with a large fortune...

In collecting Knowledge is EVERYTHING....so the place to start is by buying a coupla books on the subject...

Thanks Tabs.

I won't quit my day job.

K.T.
1973 911E 2.4 MFI
1983 911 SC

now start working on your Poppa John.

It burns a purplish red colour.

:P

LOL!!!!! That was great!

There were a number of manufacturers that produced some very mediocre instruments stamped with the name Stradivarious. I own one myself, I think its probably worth maybe $150 on a good day, with the case. Man, talk about a tough gig, try selling musical instruments. By the way some times the bow can be worth way more than the violin.

Absolutely true. I play the contrabass/double bass/standup bass (why are there so many names for one instrument?) and in college my instrument was a german solid front 3/4 bass worth probably about 2.5-3k. At teh same time, I had a german bow (for bass bows there are French and German bows, which have nothign to do with their origins...it;s about how you hold them. Think "english saddle.") My bow was worth about 6k, and was made in China!. :confused: