1900s Hopf (German) 4/4 Violin

Tone: This has a clean, forward, clear sound that's less forgiving on fudged notes. A good fiddler will get plenty of power out of it but it's not an instrument for timid playing (where it will sound thinner). It likes to cook with gas...!


Feel: The neck is comfortable and "right down the middle of the road" in heft, nut width, and shape.


Interesting features: It's got the cool Hopf stamp on the back right under the heel. It's also go the "Hopf" look in squared shoulders and a wider "cut" to the middle. The "rubbed-out" brown of the finish is a nice look as well. This came to us from a local fiddler who used this reliably at shows for the past couple decades.


Repairs included: As I recall, Andy just had to give it a glorified setup, adjust the bridge, and perhaps reglue a couple of loose seams.

  • Maker: unknown, likely a German workshop build
  • Model: 4/4 violin
  • Body style: squared-shoulders
  • Weight: 1 lb 2 oz
  • Scale length: 12 7/8"
  • Nut width: 7/8"
  • Body length: 13 7/8”
  • Body width: 8"
  • Body depth: 1 1/4"
  • Top wood: solid spruce
  • Back & sides wood: solid flamed maple
  • Bridge: maple
  • Fingerboard: ebonized maple
  • Neck wood: maple
  • String height: between fiddler/classical
  • Strings: unknown (nice quality)
  • Neck shape: slim-medium C

Condition notes: Please excuse the rosin on the board in the photos! I had just put it down from playing it. It's in overall great shape but it does have the usual small nicks, dings, scratches, and scuffs of handling for the past hundred-plus years. The tailpiece, pegs, bridge, and chinrest are all replacements as far as I can tell but the rest appears original. 


It comes with: It has a presumably-original hard case and (Glasser, I think) bow.


Consignment tag: CD



















Comments

Oscar Stern said…
Update: These are D'addario Helicore Strings