re: Brought home an $8000 violin and found out it’s fake - Updated

My son plays and started off with a 3/4 size. I bought one off of eBay for 75 bucks that looked well made but no luck finding the maker. It was made in the 60’s so I figured we’d try it out. It sounded incredible. His teacher said it sounded “very happy”. Turns out it was from a small family of German makers and a new one goes for around 5k.

He graduated up to a 4/4 and I wasn’t as lucky this time. He said his new violin sounds bad In his words but it still plays just fine and that’s what he’ll be playing for a long while.
He has enough talent to be really good but chooses not to practice. If he did, I would also probably buy him an instrument like you did. It’s an investment in talent and perseverance. That’s priceless...


Edit..

I think I’ve figured out what could be up with your violin. You said it was stamped by a maker in the 1880’s but the label is consistent with the maker the shop claims. This violin has been repaired. I would be willing to bet the violin is “real” and the stamp was done by the luthier that did the repair.



If you look at the back on the right side you’ll notice the grain is different. This wasn’t done on the original build. That is a one piece back. That violin was damaged and expertly repaired by a proud luthier. He stamped it.

And that is how both you and the shop are correct and the violin is still worth 8k. Also, that is the most ornate and beautiful violin I think I’ve ever seen. It’s a work of art.

Good job finding the violin.

You are correct that the luthier that repaired it labeled it. The problem is the he is also the one that added the carvings on the corners. The body was not made by Derazey. The purfling on a Derazey goes around the flower. The purfling on this violin is under the flower. There is also a crack in the front that runs through one of the flowers, but the flower is not cracked, indicating that it was added after the crack was repaired. The number of leaves don’t match the ones you see on an original. There is a picture of Prague on the back of every Derazey I’ve seen as well.

What I believe happened is C.B. McCormick took the head /neck from an unsalvageable Derazey and placed it on a different violin that he had repaired and that sounded great. He then added similar carvings to give it the feel of authenticity. He couldn’t reproduce the carving of Prague, though. He stamped his initials in the back just below the neck, so he was proud of what he did or it was his personal violin.

If they are reasonable, I am still going to buy it, but not for more than it’s worth.

Sounds like a fake but let me call my buddy who is an expert on violins

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You have poor people thumbs.

---touchdownjeebus

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I love this website.

I really do.

Keep this thread updated after your discussion with the shop. Interesting story. And if you can easily afford it and your daughter has genuine talent and interest - and more importantly is responsible enough to care for it properly - by all means buy it for her. You can always sell it later if you don’t overpay. Ignore the haters. The OT tends to get jealous whenever people who can afford nice things buy nice things.

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Write down your concerns and go over them point by point with the owner.

He either takes the deal, or he doesn't

Another option... Since your daughter likes the violin, offer to rent it for 6 months or so until both you and the owner can find appraisals and price you are both comfortable with.

Be as kind and diplomatic as possible. If you walk in insulting the guy, your deal is over before it starts.

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I think I have it figured for you.

Walk in with the case he put the disputed fiddle in. Act real pissed off, holler a little, call him a crook, and take a cheap toy violin out of the case and smash it on the counter (without ever letting him get a good enough look at it, of course).

Watch his face when you do it. That will tell you whether he really thinks that violin is worth $8,000.00 or not.

Send it back. I have a Strataverotis I can let you have for $1,000 bucks cash. Offer only good for 1 week, then it goes back into the safe deposit box.

Let me know. We can meet at Sonic to do the deal. Come alone with nothing higher than a twenty. For $1000, that will equal 100 of them.

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I hope insurance covered a new one for her.

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If it was Farm Bureau she probably received a pressboard Sears-Roebuck model in compensation.

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back. I have a Strataverotis I

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So close.

Of all the posts, this one leads me to believe the $8k would be a silly move. It’s one thing if y’all have great ears and it’s a special instrument regardless of origin... but that she’s already swapped opinion likely means it’d be spending just to say you went premium to get the more expensive... and ironically you’d never feel confident you got the better item due to these concerns