Original Italian violin by Antonius Gragnani (1792)???

May 29, 2014 at 01:40 PM · I can't speak on the authenticity or not, but as to the condition, this instrument has soundpost cracks on both the top and the back, even if they were properly patched we're talking about no more than 20% of the value it might have without the cracks.

May 29, 2014 at 01:48 PM · I am pretty sure that it is a fake! Condition is poor too. Sound seems ok, but with that much reverb, nearly every violin can sound good...

May 29, 2014 at 02:06 PM · The price is $6K. I'm not sure about the sound qualities. It sounds very nasally by itself. But while playing you don't hear it so much... It also has quite easy response, but is not very loud. Hope to get more opportunity to try it next time and to make recording without such reverberation.

Thanks. Hope to hear also other comments!

May 29, 2014 at 02:55 PM · I agree with Lyndon.

Your biggest concern should be condition of this instrument and the total cost of ownership. In other words, how much money would you need to spend on this instrument to keep it structurally safe and functional?

Sound post crack on the back is more worrisome, but on the top will also affect the sound to some extent; not so long ago, a violin with a crack on the back would be a total write-off, but restorers are getting better and antique violins more expensive and difficult to find..... This spot probably sustains the strongest pressure per square mm, and the patch has to be done extremely well in order to last reasonably long time. Even with that, you are basically gambling against the laws of physics (imagine violin strings and back plate as a bow and sound post as an arrow pointing toward the back arch!) and your odds are low. A compromising solution would be to use a set of thin stings with the least possible tension, but then sound might not be good enough.

Regarding the dilemma if the instrument is genuine or not, I urge you to put that aside. Why? Because that is a cognitive trap: price is set under claim that this violin is genuine antique Italian and then "reduced" because of the condition of instrument, to make it appear as a good deal. It is not.

If it were not antique Italian, would you spend the same amount of money on repairs with a questionable outcome for instrument's stability and sound?

May 29, 2014 at 11:25 PM · Here some pictures of Antonio Gragnanis:

Ihttp://www.christies.com/lotfinder/LargeImage.aspx?image=http://www.christies.com/lotfinderimages/d38193/d3819357x.jpg

http://www.bromptons.co/auction/10th-december-2012/lots/227-a-fine-italian-violin-by-antonio-gragnani-livorno-1793.html

I tried one out not too long ago. Sorry but can't see much resemblance.