Restorations

This very old violin came in with the pegbox shattered in several places and with the previous neckgraft dislodged. The neck and button had broken away from the body. The original button which sported a crown had disintegrated, some purfling was missing. After replacing the neck graft, I bushed all the peg holes and put a shim on both sides of the peg box.

I fitted a new button, which extends underneath the centre joint of the back for strength, and a new piece of purfling to match the existing purfling.

The neck of this old English violin of the classic period was originally butt jointed against the continuous top rib. Originally, a single nail was hammered in through the top block from the inside to keep the neck in place.
Over time, this nail corroded and cracked the neck root. An old repair, with a dowel through the neck, failed and destroyed most of the inside of the neck root. After I repaired the neckroot using dovetail joints while keeping virtually all of the visible original wood, I re-attached the neck to the body with a butt joint. The discolouration of the rusty nail remains as a feature and historic evidence.
The final picture shows the violin restored, with a classic period setup.

Although I carry some insurance for goods in trust, I can't cover for all eventualities. Therefore it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their property is adequately insured when leaving their instruments and bows in my care or in my premises.