Restored Antique 4/4 Trade Violin Made In Czechoslovakia, Stradivarius Copy, With New Carrying Case - Circa 1900
You are invited to purchase a very nice antique handcrafted 4/4 (full size) trade violin labeled as an Antonius Stradivarius Copy that was made in Czechoslovakia. This violin has been internally re-graduated and repaired, updated and fully restored to playability. Included with the violin a very nice internally padded new cloth carrying case that will be used to safely ship the instrument and for ongoing future use by its new owner for safe transport and storage of the instrument. No bow or other accessories are included.
We have completed a series of relatively difficult repairs and restorative actions associated with this violin. These actions included new blocking of all 4 of the rib corners, reattachment of the violin neck to the body, the addition of a new Ebony fingerboard to the violin, re-graduation of the inside of the top plate and the installation of a new properly sized and located glued-in bass bar (See accompanying images). In addition, the violin has been upgraded and modernized with a new Ebony chin rest, new Ebony saddle, endpin and nut, and new Maple bridge, along with a new Ebony tailpiece. We also modernized and set up the instrument with new modern medium tension synthetic core metal strings and new Wittner geared pegs making it ready to be played and enjoyed by its new owner.
Note: We have included several images of this restored violin along with images of the internal repairs. Please click on the images for a larger view.
INTERNAL LABELS:
The following original pasted-in label is found under the left f-hole (See accompanying image):
"Copy of
Antonius Stradivarious
Made in Czechoslovakia."
In addition, during the restoration process, we added a new repair label from our workshop along with a serial number. This label is now found under the left f-hole (See Image):
"THE OLDE VIOLIN SHOPPE
HAMILTON, MONTANA USA
ANTIQUE & VINTAGE VIOLIN REPAIR,
RESTORATION & REGRADUATION
REPAIRED/RESTORED VIOLIN ANNO 2026
SN-07012026"
VIOLIN ORIGIN & ESTIMATED DATE OF MANUFACTURE:
Our investigations reveal that this violin was most likely made in a small factory or cottage industry facility in Schonbach, Czechoslavakia (now known as the Czech Republic). This area has a multi-decade history of violin making.
Based in part on the known characteristics of similar trade violins attributed to this particular region of Czechoslovakia, the types of wood used in its construction and based on its overall physical condition upon receipt prior to being repaired/refurbished, we can conservatively date this instrument to circa 1900.
KEY PHYSICAL FEATURES:
* A warm brown Spirit varnish over a golden ground.
* Very attractive two piece Tiger Maple back with ribs to match the back. The Tiger Maple pattern carries all the way to the edges of the back. The original maker also created a darker brown antique look to portions the exterior of the back plate (See images).
* Two piece Spruce top with a relatively consistent grain pattern (See accompanying image of the grain pattern in the lower bout).
* Top plate with a moderately high arch.
MEASUREMENTS:
* Length Overall (LOA): 23 1/2"
* Length of the body (LoB): 14 1/8''
* Rib Height: 1 1/8"
* Max Width of Upper Bout: 6 1/2"
* Avg. Width at Waist or C-Bout: 4 1/4"
* Max. Width of Lower Bout: 8 1/8"
NATURE OF REPAIRS & RESTORATION:
This antique violin was received by us in relatively poor structural condition with the neck separated from the body of the instrument and with no fingerboard present. The violin was also missing its strings and most other accessories. The original saddle was missing along with the endpin, tailpiece and bridge - all of which were replaced during the restoration process (See the composite image of the violin before and after restoration).
Following is a summary of the actions taken by us to repair and restore this antique Czech trade violin to full playability:
1. We removed the top plate from the violin and discovered the fact that none of the rib corners were blocked by the original maker. We also found that the underside of the top plate was very roughly carved with residual "hills and valleys" and had a short, roughly carved-in bass bar that was also improperly positioned. These conditions are quite typical of the majority of mass produced violins from the Schonbach area of Czechoslovakia. But the wood used to create this instrument was deemed to be good to excellent in quality and so the violin was deemed worthy of the following internal improvements.
2. We added new Spruce corner blocking to all four corners. We removed the inferior carved-in bass bar and re-graduated the interior of the top plate thereby creating a more consistent thickness and allowing the plate to properly flex and vibrate. We then prepared a new Spruce bass bar of proper size and vertical profile and glued it to the inside the top plate in the proper location (See image of the new corner blocking and bass bar installation).
3. We installed the detached violin neck to the violin body. After the glue had set, we planed and sanded the top of the neck to remove old accumulated dried glue and added a new Ebony fingerboard and nut to the violin neck attaching these items with Hide Glue.
4. Before restoring the top plate to the violin, we added our shop's repair label. The top plate was then re-glued to the ribs using Hide Glue. Once the top plate was restored to the violin we cleaned all exterior surfaces of the violin of accumulated dirt and rosin residue and added Brown touchup varnish to areas needing it. French polish was added to the exterior as a final cosmetic treatment. These actions all added up to restoring the original external beauty of this trade violin (See images of the refurbished violin).
5. The new Ebony nut was trimmed to a proper size and string grooves were added in accord with standard specifications. We also added a new Ebony saddle to the violin.
6. We added a new Ebony endpin onto the violin. In addition, we installed a new Guarneri-style chinrest to the violin along with a new Ebony tailpiece.
7. The pegbox was fitted with Wittner Finetune geared Pegs (Made in Germany). These geared pegs eliminate the need for fine tuners on the tailpiece as they are permanently set within the pegbox and have an 8:1 gear ratio, making for very precise tuning. Only the central knurled spool segment of the peg rotates so peg slippage is prevented. So once the Wittner pegs are set, they are not designed to be removed from the pegbox. The geared pegs are also unaffected by temperature and humidity changes.
NOTE: Conventional wood peg slippage is a big problem with most violins, something that a player definitely does not want to happen in the middle of a concert solo in front of a large audience. Wittner geared pegs totally eliminate peg slippage so one can play the violin even with vigor without worry.
8. Finally, we completed the setup of the violin by properly fitting a new Spruce soundpost along with a new Maple bridge and installing a new set of modern medium tension synthetic core metal strings by the Fiddlershop. This string set is deemed to be equal to the design and performance of Dominant strings.
All of the aforementioned repairs have resulted in a completely restored, re-graduated, repaired and upgraded trade violin that has significantly improved the overall tonal response and sound quality of this instrument. The violin now has a very pleasing tone with great projection worthy of the concert hall. Thus, this antique instrument that could have easily been lost to time has been fully repaired, improved and reborn to live a second life in the present.
VIOLIN CASE:
Included with this restored trade violin is a very nice new rectangular cloth covered internally foam formed carrying case with side and end carrying handles, dual zipper closure, lock with key and a set of additional shoulder straps for the back. Also included inside the case are dual racks for bows (no bow included), a hygrometer or humidity meter (see close-up image), a soft cloth cover for the violin, a pocket for accessories and a formed niche for an optional shoulder rest (not included). In addition, there is a zippered pocket on the top of the case for carrying sheet music. The case measures 31 inches long by 10 inches wide and 5 inches deep (See images of this case). This case is suitable for safe shipping of the violin to its new owner and for ongoing use by the new owner for both storing and transporting the violin after it is received.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
As you might gather from reading the above description of our repair and restoration of this violin, we take common trade violins and make them significantly better by improving on the interior construction work to a much higher standard, which translates to better tone and projection. We also modernize antique and vintage violins by adding Wittner geared pegs and modern synthetic core metal strings - actions that make a significant difference in the overall performance level of these instruments. The end result is an improved instrument that one can be proud of and one that will serve the musical needs of its owner for years to come.
PURCHASE:
The Montana Logger is very pleased to offer this fully restored 4/4 trade violin made in Czechoslovakia along with a new cloth carrying case for a very reasonable buy-it-now price. We will also entertain reasonable offers for this fine antique instrument.
PAYMENT: Payment is due within 3 days of purchase. Prompt payment is always very much appreciated.
