Instrument commissioned in 2019 by the Kunstuniversität Graz Institut 15 Alte Musik und Aufführungspraxis, this instrument was requested in its original set-up, and was constructed following the construction method of the ancient Cremonese Masters as described by Roger Hargrave.
Jakobus Stainer was blessed by fame of great craftsmanship during his lifetime and after his death his violins were a reference for luthiers and musicians, sold for 10 times more the price of those of cremonese masters.
This violin, kept in the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota. It’s one of the two Stainer’s violins featuring the original neck setup. Fingerboard, tailpiece and fittings are probably a later modification (XVIII th century).
Its distinctive traits are the rich archings, characteristic of the Master’s work, a very high positioned upper nut, often seen in Tyrolean violins. The neck is unusually long, rendering the instrument easily suitable to an early set-up with a full naked gut strings set.
Tailpiece and fingerboard are in sorb wood, as seen in an other instrument (a viola) by Stainer, also kept in National Music Museum. The featured bridge is a reconstruction of the model often depicted in Evaristo Baschenis‘ works, bridge position is lower than the FF notches, as seen in XVIth century paintings.
The purfling is custom made, maple wood for the white stripe, and walnut stained with iron acetate
