1900s German-made 1/2 Size Violin

This inexpensive trade violin is a 1/2 size -- kids' use -- instrument and it was brought in by a friend of mine for a setup... which it got. I cleaned it up, recut the bridge, and set the soundpost on it. Sound? Mellow but clear... and not bad at all and what you'd expect for a plain-Jane, drawn-"purfling" trade instrument... and it's ready to go for the next student to learn on.

Update 2016: The owner of this has it on consignment here and I've restrung it with a fresh set of D'Addario Prelude 1/2 strings -- see pic below -- and it's a considerably-improved instrument because of them. The original steel-core strings were really, really worn-out.

Spruce top, maple back and sides and neck... just like normal. The tail is at least ebony but the board is dyed maple with a somewhat rough surface.

The pegs got a bit of peg dope and work nicely.

Four fine tuners are nice to have with those steel-core strings.

The most interesting thing, actually, is the chinrest on this which has a brass rest and a cool plated adjuster mechanism...

...that tightens with one set screw in the bottom. Why haven't all the other chinrests gone to this system? Tradition? Right. It's so much easier to adjust one of these on-the-fly than those ones you have to stick the end of an awl in to turn them when they start rattling... but I digress!

This instrument comes with an original chip case.