Andre Bernard, German Trade Violin, Early 20th Century – SOLD MARCH 3, 2023 –

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Bears the Label:

We have a workshop trade violin with the German spelling of the Belgian city of Liege. The above named maker of the violin is just that, a name inside the violin. The instrument was made in a small German shop where attention to detail and time was taken to create nice instruments, but not by the famed maker on the label. Andre Bernard was an authentic maker born in 1870 and established his workshop in 1889. Andre received gold and silver medals for his instruments at Paris, Brussels, Liege,and Bordeaux Exhibitions. Our violin has slightly exaggerated Guarneri sound holes and is well made, with beautiful arching. The lines are strong, and I believe the plates were carved by hand. The tonewoods on the top plate are choice and the maple back is highly flamed with a medium-width curl. We have gone over the entire violin and completed the violin in rosewood fittings. The varnish is antiqued and has developed a lovely patina. The instrument’s color is an amber orange/brown varnish on a golden ground. The orange/brown varnish is deep and transparent. The violin is in very good condition with no issues.

Corpus 357.0 mm., Major Width 205.0 mm, Minor Width 164.0 mm., Rib Height 29.0 mm.

When first handling this violin, the player will notice how comfortable it is to play in all the positions. Once playing, the tone you find is quite powerful and arresting. The sound projects with little effort from your bow hand and the tone is responsive, sophisticated, and consistent across all of the strings. This European violin is an excellent choice for an intermediate player looking for a more professional sound. Good response and very good strength.