http://www.aviolin.com/blog .... and come to that, cellos & bows Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:02:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This violin is branded in two places, at the top of the back and inside, and both brands are as new-looking as the rest of it: Anciaume le Jeune. The neck (and indeed the fingerboard) are original. It's a transitional-period instrument, the neck being less angled than that ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=146 Cahusac violin Violin label Here is an interesting and inexpensive violin by Cahusac of London, dating from 1786. A label inside says so, but I can't believe that the label is genuine. It's not printed, but inscribed Cahusac, Strand, London, 1786, in an antique hand - but whether the handwriting ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=133 I was once involved in a television advertisement for some kind of beer. I had to handle a genuine Stradivari and a fake - the advertising strapline was "For those that can tell the difference." I didn't have to say anything at all. I just had to ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=126 Shortly after we moved into the old church we were approached with a request to host a Bach harpsichord recital here. The acoustics are excellent and we have plenty of space. The event was attended by sixty-one people, and on the whole was a success. Immediately afterwards ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=119   I have a violin with an indistinct brand, Longman & something or other, and I thought to have a closer look at it. It actually reads Longman, Lukey & Co., No. 26, Cheapside, London. Its unusual feature is the peculiar chevron stringing around the edges, in place of ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=117 The old certificate for this violin, which has a fake Joseph Hill label, described it as "Kloz School" without bothering with a date. I suppose it was made in the late 18th Century, and probably in Mittenwald, which indeed does make it of that school. The extended Kloz ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=95   This cello dates from the late 18th Century. It is truly eccentric. How unusual it is to see an old instrument that most emphatically is not modelled after Stradivari, Amati, Stainer or Guarneri. In my view, it's rather refreshing, too. It is what's called a lady's ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=85 I have a very original viola made by James & Henry Banks of Salisbury, made in 1808. It's of the small-but-sounds-good model, having a back length of 15 3/8 in (384mm). An almost identical one (but dated 1803) is illustrated in Albert Cooper's well-known book Benjamin Banks. ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=77 Look at this. It's just gorgeous. I bought it at a regional auction where they had all sorts of junk, and the pre-sale estimate was £500/800. Some violins just stand out for their quality. Apart from being amazed by the beauty of the varnish it ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=44 Photo courtesy Sotheby's, (thanks Tim) A friend read my last entry and mentioned another painted instrument, the famous "Royal George" cello by William Forster. The cello is certainly magnificent, and it maddens me that it is not in the V & A museum. I first saw this wonderful instrument in the ... http://www.aviolin.com/blog/?p=36