c.1860 Vermont-made? 4/4 Violin

This is a Strad-style violin supposedly made in Vermont and with a stamped/burned-in "1860" on the inside of the back. I picked this fiddle up from a friend of mine and I'm thinking this is quickly going to become my primary fiddle. It's a beautifully-made instrument with a well-carved, well-graduated top and gorgeous flamed-maple ribbing and one-piece back. The neck is also well-flamed and the board, tailpiece, and nut are all ebony.

At some point in its life this instrument was stripped and then refinished in natural with a simple wiped-in sort of varnish -- maybe something like tung oil? At any rate, the finish was OK but hadn't been polished up after it was put on. I finished that off -- lightly sanded and then polished up the finish to a nice baby-bottom smooth satin sheen -- and then also did a bit of work to it, as well... including seam re-glues, setup, and cutting a new bridge.

The natural color suits the instrument but it originally would have been a medium brown-red sort of tone judging by the color left in bits of the seam joins and the lingering color to the flame on the back.

This sports replacement Caspari pegs (these tighten like banjo friction pegs with an adjustment at the back of the button) which sure are a nice upgrade.

The sound on this guy is full, warm, sweet, and quite loud. It's about all you could ask for in an old fiddle (or for that matter, concert violin).

Pretty intense flame all over.

...but that back, is, of course -- wonderful.

Note the endpin button -- it's brass and while it doesn't function now, it was originally a pitch pipe as well as endpin! The chinrest looks like a 40s or 50s type -- which is my guess as to about when it was refinished, as well.

Nice flame on the sides as well!