Eugen Wahl, old master violin from Karlsruhe 1928

Old master violin made by Eugen Wahl, 1928

• rich oil varnish
• body length 35.8 cm
• large, full, warm sound
• two piece back made of wide flamed maple
• perfect condition

This fine German master violin is a magnificent piece by Eugen Wahl, and it was crafted in 1928 at the zenith of this southern German luthier’s remarkable career. Like many other highly gifted masters in violin making history, Eugen Wahl did not start out pursuing the usual path towards his vocation: instead, he trained as a wood sculptor in his hometown of Heilbronn. A talented musician, he played the violin, which gradually led him to the art of making instruments. He worked as an autodidatic and drew upon his training before successfully completing the master examination under Heinrich Kessler in Mannheim in 1913. After WWI he moved to Karlsruhe, where he focussed all of his attention on making violins, advancing over time to become the guild’s master and head of its examination commission. Wahl was an exceptionally productive craftsman who quickly created an excellent reputation for himself. This gorgeous Eugen Wahl violin illustrates his unique interpretation of a Stradivari model – one with which he was extremely successful – at its finest. The broad dimensions of the body with its flat table give it its excellent resonant properties, and Eugen Wahl coordinated the top and back based on a system he developed himself. Premium-quality tone woods are one of the characteristics of an Eugen Wahl instrument, and he accentuated the interesting grain of the magnificent spruce and wonderfully flamed two-piece maple back with a rich and highly transparent coat of orange-reddish varnish. The original label on the inside of the violin and Eugen Wahl’s stylish brandmark confirm the authenticity of this crack-free instrument, which was played often by its previous owner, the only person to play it. The violin was treated with great care and thus has hardly any traces of use at all. Now that it has been set up and made ready to play at our workshop, this modern master violin is a compelling choice, not least because of the radiance of its bright sound full of timbre. 

 

 

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