UBB.threads Forums General Interest Other Hobbies and Collections, like sports cars, movies, music,etc Anyone know fiddles?

I'd appreciate anything you could tell me about mine, especially a current value range.

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Paper tag visible through F hole. Difficult to photograph, but I believe it reads "Jacobus Stainer in Abfam prope Oenipontum 1748".

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12. Thanks for looking. - Bob

Bob, In Schuylerville, N.Y. (where the British "redcoats" were finally defeated at the battle of Saratoga) there is a maker of these instruments and knows quite a lot about values and makers. My wife plays bluegrass fiddle and we bought one of his with a one piece back. His name is Martin Macica. (518)-695-3029, www.macica.com

I sure like the scroll type endwork of the top.

Good luck!

Mark

Cool, thanks!...Does your wife know Ray Drain? He always asks me if I still have what he calls "the black fiddle". - Bob

Appears to be a copy of an old violin, which does not mean that is a bad thing. Value is hard to say and is mostly judged a little by who made it but mostly in how it sounds. A violin sounds better if it is played. So if this violin is been sitting around the sound should improve by playing it. On the other hand the bow could be worth more than the violin. You just need to ask an expert. I would get input from least 2 - 3 experts. JME

Thanks. My father in law used to play old-time music, and says the violin plays and sounds great. However, there's a problem with the tuning keys not staying tight, and it won't stay in tune.

It is not unusual for a bow to cost $500.00 or more. That sure surprised me when we bought my wife's bow.

If any stringed instrument has not been played for a long time you can sit it in front of your TV speakers and the vibrations of that alone will bring a good bit of harmonic resonance back to the instrument.

Most of the 'pickers' in Nashville keep their guitars upright and next to some stereo or TV speaker all the time they are not using the instrument.

Let us know what you find out. Also the notes from a fiddle are the same for a mandolin, so those that can play fiddle (they have NO frets) are naturals for the mandolin, which does have frets.

Mark