American Violin, 4/4 size, Heinrich Ostendorff, Red Bank, NJ 1900 (FFA-100)

About 30 years ago, this violin was discovered by a young lady musician who had volunteered to do a house clean-out of a violin maker and music teacher in Red Bank, NJ. He had passed away. His name was Heinrich Ostendorff. The young lady kept the violin in storage, as is, until we discovered it and picked it up. What a wonderful find! The violin is very well made, with a nicely crafted scroll. You will notice that the ebony pegs are the originals, with inlays done by Mr. Ostendorff. The ebony fingerboard is of high quality ebony. The top is of straight narrow-grain spruce, the back is two-piece of well flamed maple. The top had some troublesome cracks that have been closed, and while their scars remain, they are well sealed, and as always, I guarantee my work. The violin has been fitted with a Simeon Chambers bass bar and sound post, Helicore medium gauge strings. The bridge is of high quality maple, and the tailpiece is a Wittner "space age composite" piece, with four fine tuners. The end button is the original "engraved" flower design.

Tone: Nothing like old wood! The tone is full, warm, balanced, with overtones and even clarity throughout. Intonation and playability are right on. This is a chance to own a fine American fiddle with a true pedigree. 

**As a rule, we do not include chinrests when a violin is purchased. We've found that customers are very picky about that, as they well should be. There is nothing worse than an uncomfortable chinrest. Many players prefer their own chinrests, and there are hundreds of different models out there. If you are a brand new player or someone who would be happy to receive a "Guarneri style" chinrest, we will include one at your request.

**Furthermore, should you prefer a traditional ebony tailpiece or a different set of strings, that's no problem. Simply make me aware of that.

TERMS OF SALE: Filius Fiddles, LLC guarantees all violins sold are functional and playable right out of the box. Any repairs done on the instrument are guaranteed upon arrival, less any abuse or negligence on the part of the owner. Starting from the date of delivery, you have two weeks during which to try out your new fiddle, let it settle in, make any string changes if so desired, and play it in different venues so that you can get a good idea of its ability. Should you care to return or exchange it during that two-week period, no problem! The buyer pays for return shipping. As long as there is no change in the integrity of the instrument, no sign of negligence or new damage, a full refund will be sent. 

Also, after that two-week period, should you wish to exchange the violin for one of equal or greater value, that is doable. Simply contact me and we can make that happen.

PLEASE understand that sometimes in shipping a violin, the sound post may fall. This is because it is irresponsible to ship a violin under full string tension. Occasionally, with low string tension, the post may dislodge.  It happens. If so, your local luthier should be able to re-install it in about 10 minutes! Just make sure, upon arrival, that your violin's post is standing under the right foot (treble side) of the bridge. If not, do NOT tighten the strings.