List of references useful for violins

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The top of instruments in the violin family are usually made of Picea abies wood and the wood structure is visible. It is therefore possible to measure the rings and match them towards available spruce (and fir) references. Useful references from central European mountains are listed below. But often the best matches are found towards other instruments, but unfortunately only quite a few ring series from instruments are published yet. Those we are aware of are listed below.

A great number of German violins are made in western Saxony (Saxony part of Vogtland, sometimes called "der Musikwinkel",[1] i.e Markneukirchen, 50°18′39″N 12°19′45″E, and around). Maybe as much as 80% of the world production of violins from late 19'th and early 20'th century, originates from this area. But unfortunately there are no dendrochronological references based on living trees (or historical timber) from that area, available. It is maybe not even sure where the source area or areas were located, but a guess would be the Erzgebirge (highest peaks about 1200 m.a.s.l)[2] in east or (less likely?) the Fichtelgebirge (up to ~1000 m)[3] in southwest, but maybe also more distant source areas may have been utilized. More information on this issue is really needed! It is also highly desirable that measurements from instruments made in this region are published.

References potentially useful for dating violins

Picea abies (PCAB) if not other stated. The timespan may be according to a truncated version in order to avoid ends with two small sample depth.

The Alps

Bayerischer Wald

Rest of Germany

Sudety Mountains

Carpathian Mountains

Balkan

Appenine Mountains

Scandinavian PCAB-references

Measurements from single instruments

Alpine region

  • GuA23, Cello, probably French 18'th cent, 1557-1717, Wood from the Alps, T. Axelson. (Measurements from a very low resolution image.)
  • Archinto Viola, ITRDB: brit051.rwl info, 1527-1685, Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Paul R. Sheppard, Malcolm K. Cleaveland
  • Messiah Violin, ITRDB: brit050.rwl info, 1587-1686, Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Paul R. Sheppard, Malcolm K. Cleaveland

Central Europe

  • Eost01, Violin by Erik Östberg, Svärdsjö, Sweden. Wood from Germany (best towards germ14, Bayerischer Wald), 1870-1961, B. Israels
  • cel9, Cello, probably Hungary 20'th cent. 1813-1934, (label states: Genua 1775), Bohemia area?, T. Axelson (dating report)

"Der Musikwinkel" (Markneukirchen and around)

  • SfFHM1, pucket string instrument (Mandola/Guitar hybrid?) without labels, probably Bayerischer Wald or around?, 1814-1911, T. Axelson

Scandinavia

  • Marn01, Violin used in Dalarna, Sweden. Rather local wood, no label, 1831-1924, B. Israels

Notes

  1. ↑ See Wikipedia (Deutsch) article about Musikwinkel
  2. ↑ See Wikipedia (English) article about Erzgebirge, Wikipedia (Deutsch) article about Erzgebirge
  3. ↑ See Wikipedia (English) article about Fichtelgebirge, Wikipedia (Deutsch) article about Fichtelgebirge
  4. ↑ The tucson format of this file is special
  5. ↑ The latitude seems not to be correct. Beatenberg would rather be something like 46°41′N 7°46′E
  6. ↑ Syntax error: the end marks should be -9999 and not 999 in this rwl-file.
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