Meisel violins

April 25, 2008 at 02:08 AM · Hi.

I'm certainly no expert but I do know that there are new Meisel instruments and old ones. Many moons ago I had a new one but never liked it very much. I lent it to my daughter's friend and it was stolen from her house. No great loss! Coincidentally, and many years later, I'm currently playing on a 1781 Johann Georg Meisel, 7/8th size violin that I like very much. Did you try to Google Meisel? Lot's of shops sell the new ones.

April 30, 2014 at 07:37 PM · My Meisel violin, about 10 years old is a wonderful sounding instrument that I like much better than snow instruments selling for over $3,000. Found it in a music store that did not specialize in violins. 10 years ago he had purchased it for a $1000. Retail at the time was $1,750. As I said, it is wonderful sounding better than much more expensive violins. My teacher was amazed. He had heard bad things, but this one is about 12 years old new. Very nice.

April 30, 2014 at 10:41 PM · There are new instruments and old instruments; there are also good instruments and poor instruments. There is no necessary correlation, either way, between age and quality.

However, poor instruments may be intrinsically bad with no hope of redemption, or all they may need is a setting up by someone who knows what needs to be done to produce a violin of acceptable quality. A bit late in the day perhaps (6 years on from the OP's post!), but is it possible that this particular $900 Meisel comes into that latter category?

May 1, 2014 at 02:18 PM · I put obligatos on it last night. It has a dreamy full beautiful tone. I also have a Juzek that had been damaged and repaired. That was given to me by family. It will now be a decoration. My Meisel is a very delightful instrument. 12 years old but brand new. Now it will be played and I don't doubt that it will get better. It doesn't look like a factory made instrument. Looks more like one guy made it.

May 1, 2014 at 05:08 PM · Meisel is a factory or production instrument made with hands, only multiple hands!! You see them on ebay a lot going quite cheap.

May 3, 2014 at 08:05 PM · Perhaps that is the case Now. But I would be careful about lumping them all into one pot. As I said my instrument is over 10 years old? But I would put it up against much more expensive violins. I stopped at a reputable luthier's shop in a college town. . My particular Meisel sounds much richer and pleasing than instruments that they were selling for $3000. It was a wonderful sounding violin even before I put better obbligato strings on it. I saw the music shop's purchase invoice . He paid $1,000 for it a little over 10 years ago. I got lucky.

May 4, 2014 at 12:42 PM · The dealer paid $1,000 for it 10 years ago? Add on his mark-up (say 30%), followed by inflation of 10 years - say an average annual rate of a mere 5%(!) - and you end up with an equivalent today's price of about $2117. You still got lucky.