French 3/4 violin, Nicolas Vuillaume workshop around 1880

This antique French 3/4 violin is a trade-quality instrument from the workshop of Nicolas Vuillaume, where it was made around 1880 -- a late testimony to the close commercialized working relationship between Nicolas and his brother Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, who was two years his senior. In addition to the instruments of the “Saint-Cécile des Ternes” label, the Vuillaumes also crafted simpler violins under the highly successful “Stentor” label and their own simpler, similar works such as this 3/4 violin, which featured a deliberately simple aesthetic intended to highlight the instruments’ outstanding acoustic properties. The 3/4 violin offered here without a label also lives up to the name of the powerful-voiced hero from Homer's Iliad with dignity and justification. Its powerful yet melting voice is bright and has a resonant sound, and its unique character also has a soft note to it. The two-piece back of gently flamed maple and the top of premium moderately-grained spruce clearly reflect the Nicolas Vuillaume workshop style, the culmination of which can be seen in this instrument. Some minor repairs have no impact on either the musical quality or the appearance of this violin, which has been kept in excellent condition. We warmly recommend it as a tonally exceptional instrument.This 3/4 violin can be traded back as part of our trade-in guarantee when you buy a 4/4 instrument from us. Like all our instruments, it comes with free shipping, a 30-day return policy and Corilon's trade-in guarantee.