Stradivari, Stradivarius, Stradivariant...

Greetings all!

I mentioned to a friend that I had joined Antiquers when they recently visited.

They asked for help with a piece that's been in their family for a few generations it seems --- they received it from a Great-uncle; my friends are in their mid 70s early 80s.

So, here are the pics they sent me after returning home... Any comments appreciated and I now value is often in the eye of the beholder/collector, but feel free to share an opinion on that too. It's written in the label inside that it's a "copie" so we know it's not a Stradivarius... just wondering what it may be worth as a copy...

... (If more photos are needed, I can ask them to send more; just let me know. First time making a request and uploading pics in sequence so hopefully this will work...)

Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

 

hi mate

ive got a similar copie de model

ive been told mine is a french Caussin school violin circa 1880

so you might wanna look into that

valued at £500 - 800

 

https://maestronet.com/forum/

id give these fellas a go as well, helpful bunch

 

i would guess vidoudez

 

many condition issues here.....

@all_fakes

 

I think he'd mention the label if it wasn't an original of that Geneva guy with his unpronouncable family name.

 

vidoudez bought the artot strad and then sold it. the label in the artot is thought to say 1722 but vidoudez thought it said 1721. this is the violin model andre rieu bought as a strad because he said it was the best sounding violin ever but it was not a strad.

 

Thanks, and for that pointer. I'll check them out. My friends know this is not going to bring in any serious cash. I don't even think they want to sell it, because is a family heirloom of sorts. But would be nice to know exactly what it is.

 

Yup... it's been kicked around quite a bit. At some point when they left India (where they lived for a while) someone even suggested they throw it away because it looked like it had been "picked out of a garbage can," they recalled. Would be fun if it had a good sound and could be given some TLC and end up in the hands of someone who could bring it back to life again. Who knows...

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Much appreciated!

 

no worries, they should help you out with the info you need

condition doesn't look that bad, its just been stripped of the hardware needed to play it

somebody was probably in the process of getting it playable

 

i would think antique as well, because the 20th century strad labels usually have a 'made in' on them

 

Only a reputable violin shop can tell you what it is worth, and if it is worth doing the necessary work. Violins in general cannot be evaluated online; and the "strad" labels tell you basically nothing. Try https://www.afvbm.org/ for a list of reliable shops in the US; they also have an article about this kind of "Strad" which you might find interesting.
Nothing in particular strikes me about this violin, other than the need for tuning pegs, a bridge, tailpiece, and strings. No way to tell if the sound-post is still in the right place. The varnish looks pretty basic, not what I'd expect from a high-end instrument. But a good shop could tell you for sure.