stradivarius versus the german industrial revolution: on the production of heirlooms

[reddyraja]

it's almost a given that someone new is bound to come to our shop every week and say, "i think i found a strad violin in [an estate sale, a neighbor's garage sale, my attic], how much do you think it's worth?" and every week, the boss lady examines their instrument and gives the same appraisal, "this is a german factory copy made in the early 1900

Comments

[delahk]

actually i like it and think it's not very 'reader's digest' at all. though the title does sound very academic. ^_^

[reddyraja]

i am really good at coming up with complicated ridiculous pseudo-academic titles. it's what i do in my spare time.

[delahk]

you're perfect for grad school! ^_^

[meixeacadeira]

my family has a knock-off strad from italy and the date is carved inside: 1719. it actually IS worth something, but we would have to send it to chicago to get it restored in order to play it.

(my great-grandfather brought it from italy to brasil in the 1920s, and then my grandfather gave it to Polly. i have no idea how far back in the family the violin goes, but it was at least my great-great-grandfather's. how lovely. a family of musicians...)

i was amused by this story because my truth, this family myth, is everyone else's shattered dream.

[reddyraja]

just because a violin is a strad copy does not mean it is worthless...but many of the strad copies out there happen to be from the german factories, and those ARE worthless.

you should send your violin to our shop and have it authenticated/dated. if it really is from 1719, then i bet it is worth something.

[recondite]

i have a jb vuillaume violin and bow. (but i use the carbon fibre bow more!)

ask your boss how much they're worth. my parents got it for cheap back before i even started playing, in anticipation (hah! they sound like me.) and it's been authenticated and so on.

[reddyraja]

vuillaume bow's are pricey bows, i can't believe they bought it for you before you in anticipation.

random note on carbon fiber: apparently the inventor of the spiccato bows, benoit, has completely divorced himself from his graphite bows b/c he is gaining more renown for those than his wooden bows. and really, who wants to be known for something like that?

[reformedvesper]

i always wondered where you worked, never quite got around to asking..