1978 hand made

3/4 viola

& the tag reads

a.r. seidel

mittenwald  obb.

west germany

hand made copy of

antonius stradivarius

with the hand written date of 1978

A VERY NICELY HAND MADE WEST GERMAN INSTRUMENT IS UP FOR AUCTION

I AM NOT THE ACTUAL OWNER OF THIS INSTRUMENT BUT CAN GET ANY QUESTION ANSWERED TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE...

THE OWNER IS A VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND SHE HAS OWNED THIS VIOLA SINCE 1991 OR 92... AND HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE CLOSET FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS OR BETTER... 

THE "A" STRING PEG HOLE CRACK WAS REPAIRED BY THE LUTHIER AT THE MUSIC SHOP THIS INSTRUMENT WAS PURCHASED AT IN OHIO... NICE REPAIR WORK AS SEEN IN CLOSE UPS IN THE LAST THREE XLNT PICTURES ABOVE...

I AM A GUITAR PLAYER AND HAVE A REAL HARD TIME WITH THESE DELICATE BEAUTIES... BUT I HAVE A WHACK EVERY NOW AND THEN WITH MY EL CHEAPO CHINESE MADE FIDDLE... THIS INSTRUMENT IS BY FAR QUITE A NUMBER OF NOTCHES ABOVE WHAT I AM USED TO IN THE FIDDLE DEPARTMENT!

I WILL TRY AND DESCRIBE IT AS BEST AS I CAN WITH THE GUITAR KNOWLEDGE I HAVE OVER THE LAST THIRTY SOME YEARS...

THIS WELL PLAYED 3/4 VIOLA APPEARS TO BE MADE FROM A TWO PIECE SPRUCE TOP WITH FLAMED MAPLE SIDES BACK AND NECK WITH AN EBONY BOARD, PEGS AND TAILPIECE... BRIDGE APPEARS TO BE MAHOGANY AND THE CHIN REST LOOKS TO BE A PLASTIC MATERIAL...

THE BOW HAS THE NAME GLASSER AND APPEARS TO BE AN XLNT HORSEHAIR BOW... THE HARD CASE IS PLASTIC AND HAS A LIGHTLY PADDED SOFT BLUE COLORED COTTON TYPE MATERIAL AND HAS A BOX OF ROSIN IN THE CASE...

THE TONE IS VERY WARM, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT PLAY THE VIOLIN OR VIOLA WELL AT ALL... I AM SURE THIS FINE HAND MADE INSTRUMENT WILL WILL SATISFY THE NEEDS OF ANY OF THE MOST FINICKY PLAYERS...

AS I KNOW ABOUT VINTAGE GUITARS THAT HAVE BEEN PLAYED... THE OLDER THEY ARE... THE BETTER THEY SOUND... AND THE MORE WELL PLAYED INSTRUMENTS ALWAYS SEEM TO BE THE BEST PLAYERS... I WOULD IMAGINE THAT SAME KNOWLEDGE WOULD ALSO APPLY TO THIS PLAYER AS WELL...

thanks for looking