Violin Forum/Message Board

[brindafella]

Hello, all.

Some years ago a violin came into my possession, I can't remember who or where from.

As the year 2008 has drawn to a close I have brought the violin out of hibernation, and quite by chance, when showing it to some fellow members of a community orchestra, saw some writing through the f holes.

J.C (on the A&E side; note no second stop after the C, contrary to an earlier post)
MAURER (on the G&D side, stretching from under the finger board to about the chin position)

... seemingly written in a black or at least dark ink wash about 4-5mm wide in each letter. This writing is apparent -- upright -- when looking from the G string side.

To me, this says that the maker has applied this before the instrument was closed (glued) up.

I have used the name in Google, but there are various Maurer violinists who obscure what ever search I attempt.

This violin has no sentimental value to me. Yet, I know it has been 'hurt' at some time and I now find myself interested in doing 'some' repair to it.

1. The neck has been broken off at some time, and the fingerboard broken through at the neck joint. This has all been stuck back in by some amateur (an idiot; before I got the violin!) with the wrong glue and askew so that the fingerboard is pointing well below the strings... and skewed towards the G string.

2. The string plate was also broken and repaired, perhaps at the same time.

3. Also, the border of the top and bottom plates has been broken away at the edge and repaired with wooden matches instead of the ornate, tesselated (black & white) wood edging.

4. The inlaid mother-of-pearl pieces in the back (bottom) plate have seen better days, but are mostly in place within their finely crafted black line figure.

5. The sound post was missing. I put in a piece of stick yesterday and it now sounds much like a violin should.

If it can't be fixed more comprehensively by me then I intend to 'set' this violin a fifth below the normal violin range, at the viola tuning. This will spare the neck from undue pressure, and allow me to play it at approximately viola pitch with some difficulties in getting along the (badly glued) fingerboard.

Any assistance to identify the maker would be appreciated.

_____
Peter

[Jack H.]

Good Luck with all that!

[Mat Roop]

If the back has some shell inlays in the back... it is likely of low value and may not be worth the fix...except the value of the experience in learning.... and conversational piece.
Good luck !... Mat

[brindafella]

How do I find out about this name ("J.C. Maurer")?

Suggestions?

Thanks,
_____
Peter

[brindafella]

Some matters have progressed:

- I have fashioned some pegs for the oblate (not round) peg holes. They are quite funky, are too long and definitely look home-made, and give it a unique look.

- I made a bridge from a scrap of wood -- this needed to be specially made because the finger board is set 'low' so the bridge must be under-sized for the correct angle / depression while fingering.

- It plays okay, but better strings would help the tone. Currently it sounds 'not bright' in tone, which could be the bridge and the strings (and the sound post - see earlier post), or just the strings.

And, any help with finding information on the maker "J.C. Maurer" would be very welcome.

[Mat Roop]