For Sale: Francois Guillmont Violin 1890-1900 (E.R. Schmidt) with Powerful, Dark Tone - $1,100 USD

This is a Francois Guillmont Aix-la-Chapelle violin. Despite the French name, it is fairly common knowledge that this was a top-level brand made by the Ernst Reinhold Schmidt workshop in Germany. E. R. Schmidt was one of the internationally successful companies that influenced Markneukirchen violin making at its zenith. This is the second Guillmont I have owned, and it is of reliably high quality craftsmanship. It is a full-sized violin, measuring about 23 3/4" in length, 14" for the body, 6 1/2" on the upper bout, and 8" on the lower. The soundboard is made of narrow-grained spruce, varnished in a burgundy brown hue, with minor saddle and upper bout cracks that were all professionally repaired some time ago, and the entire fiddle was recently inspected and brought up to speed by my luthier. There are no soundpost or bass bar cracks. The back is a single piece of attractively flamed maple. The violin was fitted with new pegs, tailpiece, and chinrest, and sports new D'Addario Helicore strings. In addition to the Guillmont label, there is a service sticker inside that says: Rebuilt by E. J. Bonner April 23, 1933 Modesto Cal. This brand of fiddle has gained fame over the years by virtue of its having been played by several professional musicians, but among the most notable is Ron Stewart, renowned bluegrass fiddler, banjoist, and mandolinist. The tone practically jumps out of the body, with a strong, dark, woody bottom end and a powerful, take-no-prisoners, upper register. It will be heard in a jam setting and the action makes it a pleasure to play. It is ideal for traditional genres like bluegrass, old-time, country, and western swing, but not limited in its versatility. It will not disappoint. For a brief sound video, here's the link: youtu.be/GdLvpISAdsw.