Giovan paolo Maggini German Trade Violin circa 1930

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Label Reads:

Maggini models are quite distinctive with an extra ring of purfling on both the top and back plate, the extra turn in the scroll in almost perfect circles, and the overdone f holes. The violin is well-preserved with the oil varnish finished in an amber/brown with orange highlights. The German violin has beautiful patina and is in fantastic condition. The instrument is carefully restored and free of any serious wear (but just enough “character” to testify to its longevity); it is in very good condition. The violin features a flamed maple back, with matching ribs and neck. The scroll has very little curl. The violin has no issues and we have gone over the entire instrument, carving a new set of pegs, cambering the fingerboard, reworking of the nut, and adding a new Witter tailpiece and chin rest. The varnish has aged beautifully and shows very little playing wear. The instrument is long in the corpus which will make it a comfortable fit for a taller player who wants to stretch out. This larger body helps create a bigger sound to the violin.

Corpus 367.0 mm – Major Width 209.0 mm – Minor Width 165.0 mm – Rib Height 29.0 – 30.0 mm

The sound is powerful and is focused. The longer body and larger cavity adds to the amount of power. Some might say the violin has a bit of guts on the bottom end. I like a little growl on the bass side of a fiddle. Yes, this violin would be great for fiddling and still be very nice for an orchestral section. The tone is resonant and leans to the brighter side for the entire violin. The harmonic overtones ring and I like the quick response off the strings. The treble side has a clear ring with the same drive. The treble side has beautiful color and I like the sweetness of the sound. Another trade violin of German origin worth looking at. This instrument is older than me, approaching 100 years.