1880s Joseph Kloz (Copy) 4/4 Violin

Let me just say -- this is a stunner in the looks department. It has a beautifully-carved lion's head in place of the scroll -- complete with a red tongue -- and rope binding at every edge of the body. The fingerboard looks like cherry (but may be maple) and provides a pretty contrast with the rustic-looking finish all over the body.

It has a good, creamy, slightly-woody, and husky voice. Individual notes are quite nice and it does a pretty decent double-stop sound fit for any Cajun-style rumpus.

The handwritten label inside the F-hole states that it's a Joseph Kloz instrument and dates it to the 1800s but, considering the styling, I'm assuming it's a later (late 1800s) German-made copycat instrument. It looks a lot like something of that era and region.

Repairs included: fingerboard plane/level, bridge fitting/setup, soundpost fitting/setup, minor seam repairs, chinrest added, cleaning, setup.

Weight: 1 lb 0 oz

Scale length: 12 7/8"

Nut width: 7/8"

Body length: 14 1/8"

Body width: 7 7/8"

Body depth: 1 1/2" + arching

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid maple

Bridge: maple

Fingerboard: possibly cherry, more likely maple

Neck wood: maple

String height: fiddler
Strings: D'Addario Ascente

Neck shape: medium C

Neck relief: straight

Condition notes: it's quite worn throughout the finish via scratching, discoloration, and "antiquing" either intentional (yes, they "relic'd" fiddles back in the day when new) or done through the ravages of time. It looks pretty glorious, however. The fingerboard's stain was half-lightened out of the wood already and so after Andy leveled/planed the fingerboard, we left it in a natural color rather than "ebonize" it again to black as it was when it was new. The nut, pegs, tailpiece, tailgut, chinrest, and bridge are all replacements of a later time but the rest of the instrument appears all-original. It has a couple of very small hairline cracks that are repaired on the top (as far as I can see).

It comes with: a very nice old French hard case and an average bow.

Consignment tag: B52