Netherlands Violin, 4/4 size. Provenance, M.J.H. Kessels, Tilburg, 1915 Amati copy (FFE-106)
M.J.H. Kessels was a maker and shop in Holland, around the turn of the 20th Century. He is a known maker whose violins were respected then and are prized today. The workmanship on this violin is excellent.With a well-crafted scroll, the violin has a narrow-straight grain spruce top, nicely graduated, as well as a figured ONE-piece maple back. The neck is of a beautiful, flamed maple. The fingerboard is very tight grained, excellent ebony, the kind you pay mucho bucks for these days. The pegs are new, of ebony with diamond brass accentuation. The tailpiece is a Wittner "space age composite" piece (with four gold-accented fine tuners), the same as the ones I use on my own fiddles. The strings are Tonica, and the tailcord is a Wittner stainless steel cord. They don't stretch, improve tone, and never fail. The bridge is high quality maple which I have selected for this violin. The instrument has been fitted with a Simeon Chambers bass bar and sound post. Some ancient cracks on the lower right and left, under the F holes have been nicely repaired. This violin is ready to go!
Tone: The tone is at once light and airy, yet powerful and with clear body. There is nothing like old wood. The intonation and playability are superb. You have a chance here to own a violin from a known European maker. What's not to like?!
**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.