Czech Violin Circa 1920
This violin has now sold.
About Czech instruments
This violin was made in Luby, then known by the German name Schönbach. The town had been an important centre of violin making since the second half of the 17th century, flourishing during the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By 1927 the town had a population of 4,500; one third of their number were involved in the making of string instruments.
Luby/ Schönbach is very close to two German violin making towns, Klingenthal and Markneukirchen. The geographical closeness of the three centres means that there was a good deal of crossover in the workforce, leading to similarities in the construction and style of the instruments made in each. There are a great many Czech instruments from this period, ranging from quickly-made factory instruments to the more carefully constructed workshop instruments: this violin is a good example of the latter.
About this violin
Made in the 1920s, this violin is modelled after the instruments of the great Cremonese maker Guarneri `del Gesù´. This makes it a slightly more unusual example of Czech making of the period: the vast majority of the violins were modelled after Stradivari.
The violin has an attractive two piece back of relatively highly figured maple and a two piece front of fine-grained spruce. The varnish is an appealing chocolate-brown colour, laid over a lighter ground.
The violin has a length of back of 353 mm.
How does it sound?
This violin has a rich, full-bodied sound which projects extremely well. The quality of tone and range of colours available mean that this would make an excellent instrument for exploring more advanced repertoire.
Condition
The violin is in excellent condition with no cracks.