German violin, circa1900
This violin has now sold.
About Markneukirchen violins
This violin was made in Markneukirchen at the beginning of the 20th century. Markneukirchen is a small town in the Saxony region of Germany, famous for its great number of violin making workshops. The town was one of the main centres of German instrument making at this time, producing a great many violins, violas, cellos and bows every year. Markneukirchen is less than 10km away from Luby, its Czech equivalent, leading to a great deal of crossover between the two towns.
The town remains active as a centre of violin making today, with over 100 different instrument workshops and a charming museum dedicated to its extraordinary history.
About the violin
This violin was made around 1900. It is a workshop made instrument, meaning that it was made by more than one luthier. Each would have had their own job to do in the workshop, from the roughing out of the arching to the varnishing and set-up work.
This violin is a slightly unusual example of Markneukirchen work in that it is a more personal take on a Stradivari model: most of the violins made in the town at this time were more standard in their interpretation of Stradivari. It has a length of back of 359mm.
How does it sound?
This violin would suit a player who intends to continue upgrading their instrument over time as it has many of the playing qualities of an individually made antique instrument and so would prepare a player well for the next step. It has a particularly large range of colours and a bright, projecting sound.
Condition
The violin is in excellent condition.