Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition, though it has imperfections in it such as spray marks, circles and lines that are visible when you look closely in the light. I see no cracks or repaired cracks. Some dents and dings from use, but nothing major. There is a knot in the wood on the scroll that has a small indentation next to it. See Pic 1. Top, back and sides are laminate. Neck is maple. Purfling is painted. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a moderate tone quality overall. Evenly matched across the strings, which is rare in this price range. Not harsh or tinny. Easy to play. Highly recommended in this price range, and suitable for all styles of music!

Overall condition is excellent. Original, antique-style varnish is in excellent condition. Please note that this instrument was purposely made with swirls, scratches and other various markings in the wood and varnish to make it look vintage. I see no cracks or repaired cracks. Virtually no dents, dings or scratches other than those that the instrument was made with. Instrument has finger tapes on the fingerboard that can easily be removed, if desired. Wide to medium grain spruce top, with maple back, sides and neck. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a moderately bright tone quality overall. Easy to play and responsive. Fantastic price on a great sounding and looking instrument! I think this one would be good for bluegrass, Irish, country or folk. Don't let this deal pass you by!

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition. I see no cracks or repaired cracks in the wood; however, I do see a small crack in the varnish at the endpin/endblock. Some dents and dings from use, but nothing major. Top is medium grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a nice, evenly moderate tone quality overall. Great on both the bass end and the treble end, with neither sounding out over the other. Very responsive, and fantastic sound for an inexpensive instrument. Highly recommended in this price range, and suitable for all styles of music! Please note: The case that comes with this is useable, but pretty rough; however, the bow is a nicer, student grade bow with real horsehair.

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition. I see no cracks or repaired cracks. Virtually no dents, dings or scratches. Medium to fine grain spruce top, with maple back, sides and neck. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a moderately bright tone quality overall. Easy to play and responsive. Highly recommended in this price range, and more suitable for bluegrass than classical.

Overall condition is excellent. Original, antique-style varnish is in excellent condition. There is a repaired crack in the A peghole on one side of the scroll. I see no other cracks or repaired cracks. Virtually no dents, dings or scratches. Wide grain spruce top, with maple back, sides and neck. I would classify this one as loud in volume with a bright tone quality overall. Good player at a bargain price. Great for bluegrass, Irish, or folk music!

Overall condition is good. The top has been stripped and stained dark brown. The rest of the varnish is original to the instrument and is in good condition, though there are lots of dings and scratches consistent with age. There are quite a few scratches in the top from where the original varnish was removed. Some wear to the edges, including a couple of chipped edges. All cosmetic in nature. I see one repaired crack in the top. It is 5-1/2" long and runs from the edge of the top to the treble f-hole. Well repaired and hard to see. Top is medium to fine grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are flamed maple. I would classify this one as medium to medium loud in volume with a bright tone quality. Suitable for all styles of music.

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition. Not much wear, but there are a lot of dents, dings and scratches. I see two repaired cracks in the top. One is 4-3/4" repaired crack that starts at the bottom of the treble f-hole and runs to the edge of the instrument. The other is a 6-1/2" repaired crack that runs from the top of the treble f-hole to the top edge of the instrument. There are also three repaired cracks in the back. Two run from the bottom edge upwards. One is 1" in length and the other is 4" in length. The third is a tiny 1/4" hairline crack across one of the corners. All of these (top and back) have been repaired well and are cosmetically very nice! This instrument is an oddity as both the top and the back are made from spruce! Both are medium to mostly fine-grained spruce. The sides and neck are maple. Purfling is etched rather than inlayed. I would classify this one as loud in volume with a full, moderately bright tone quality. Surprisingly well rounded and even across all strings. Once again, very easy to play. Very responsive. I think this would be suitable for all styles of music!

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition. I see no cracks or repaired cracks; however you can see where part of the back center seam has been reglued. This is a nice looking, solid repair. Top is medium to fine grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a full, bright tone quality. Well rounded and suitable for all styles of music.

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition. Light wear to the edges, with minor dents, dings and scratches overall. I see no cracks or repaired cracks. It looks like the back has been removed and reglued at some point. This is a nice looking, solid repair. Top is medium to wide-grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple. The ribs at the endblock are stamped "CZECHOSLOVAKIA," and there is a stamp on the back that says "STRADIVARIUS." This is a Strad copy. I would classify this one as loud in volume with a full, bright tone quality. Great for bluegrass music!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in good condition except for on the scroll and heel, where it is chippy. Some scratches, dents and dings overall, with moderate to heavy edge wear on the top. I see six repaired cracks in the top. There is a 1" repaired crack in the top to the right of the fingerboard; a 1" repaired crack on the lower, bass corner of the top; and four repaired cracks on the upper, bass half of the top. These cracks vary in length from 1", 2", 2-1/4", and 4-3/4". The scroll has a chip on one side. See Pic 1. All four corners of the top are slightly chipped, and one of the side corners has a small chip. Brand new bass bar! One of the things that makes this instrument so unique is that the back is one-piece beechwood and there is no purfling whatsoever on this instrument. Top is medium to wide grain spruce, the neck is beechwood, and the sides are beechwood. This one is loud in volume with a slightly unique sound to it. It is on the bright side; powerful without being harsh or tinny. Low end has a nice bass sound to it. Great for bluegrass music! Great for acoustic jams! Don't let this unusual instrument get away!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in good condition on the top, and in fair to somewhat less on the rest of the instrument. Some chipping in the varnish overall, and lots of scratches, dents and dings overall. Very light wear to the edges, with one top corner slightly chipped. Small chips to two of the rib corners. There are three repaired cracks in the ribs at the endblock area. See End picture. There are two repaired cracks in the upper bass side rib. Neck has been reset/shimmed to correct low neck angle. Very poor job of inlaying the purfling. All kinds of knife marks, gouges, and scratches around the purfling. Cosmetic in nature only -- this just adds to the uniqueness of the instrument. Top is medium to wide-grain spruce. Back is one-piece maple. Sides are maple. Neck is beechwood. Please look at all the additional pictures of this one. So this one is not so hot on the looks, but it really does sound good! Loud to very loud in volume, with a nice, bassy tone quality overall. Great depth and vibration! This one is an absolute joy to play! You will find it tough to beat in tone and price for a handmade, American made, vintage instrument! Highly recommended.

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is very worn! Lots of scratches, dents and dings overall, with heavy edge wear. There is a 1" repaired crack extending upwards from the bass f-hole. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. There is a crease in the ribs which would be original to the instrument when the sides were bent. See Pic 1. There is a tiny chip on one side of the scroll. See Pic 2. Please note that the striping on this instrument is not in the wood, but was done with flames (a common way of mimicking maple flaming during the time period this was made). I would classify this one as medium loud in volume with a moderately bright tone quality. There is some warmth to the bass end, and it is fairly even across all strings. Good for bluegrass!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is very worn! Lots of scratches, dents and dings overall, with heavy edge wear. Lots of wear overall. I see only two cracks in the top, and both have been repaired. One is a 1/4" hairline wing crack extending upwards from the bass f-hole. The other is a repaired 2" crack extending downward from the same f-hole but on the opposite side near the bridge. There are quite a few other lines and scratches in the varnish that resemble cracks, but they are not. There appears to be two cracks in the peghead, which is why there are geared pegs. These are solid and stable (they do not extend to the edge of the pegbox) and will be fine as long as geared pegs are kept on this instrument. I believe both the top and back have been reglued on this instrument. Everything is solid and this instrument is guaranteed ready to play. It is a great deal for someone wanting a reasonably priced vintage instrument that plays easily! It is stamped "VUILLAUME A PARIS" on the back. This is NOT a French fiddle, but is German. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a moderately bright tone quality. Responsive and easy to play! Highly recommended in this price range for a vintage instrument!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish has been completely stripped and instrument has been refinished. Very light finish, more like stain rather than varnish. Perhaps light coat of French polish overall? There are scratches everywhere from the instrument being stripped and from age. You can see some of this on Pic 1 and on the End picture. I see a repaired crack in the top. It is 2-1/2" long and extends from the bass f-hole to right under the chinrest. Instrument has a new, handmade bass bar. Pegs are not uniform in length -- the E and D string pegs are a little shorter than the A and G pegs. Neck is slightly thicker than average. Top is medium to wide-grain spruce, the back and sides are nicely flamed maple, and the neck is beechwood. I would classify this one as loud in volume with a full, more bassy tone quality. Incredible depth! Really great sounding overall. One of my favorites in this price range.

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in good condition, though it does have a lot of chips, dents, dings and scratches. Moderate to heavy wear on the edges. There are two well-repaired cracks in the top, including a repaired saddle crack on the treble side that is about 3-1/2" long, and a repaired 2-1/2 crack to the left of the fingerboard. No other cracks or repaired cracks. One corner of the top on the bass side has been chipped and is missing. This will not affect the tone or playability of the instrument. Instrument is solid and ready to play! Nice flaming on the maple back! I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume. It has a bright, clear tone quality.

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in fair to good condition, though it does have a lot of chips, dents, dings and scratches. Moderate to heavy wear on the edges. There is a worn spot in the top to the right of the tailpiece. I believe this is from the bow inside the case hitting this area of the instrument with no protection. See Pic 2. Cosmetically not very nice, but this doesn't affect the stability or playability of the instrument. I see five repaired cracks in the top, including two 1/4" wing cracks (one on each side), a repaired 2" soundpost crack, a repaired 3-1/4" crack extending upwards from the bass f-hole, and a 4-3/4" repaired crack extending downward from the same f-hole. Parts of the top and back have also been reglued at some point in time. One of the corners is chipped. See Pic 1. Top is medium grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, bright and clear tone quality. Decent bass end, and even across all strings. Reponsive. Great for bluegrass, country or Irish music!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in fair to good condition, though it does have a lot of chips, dents, dings and scratches. Moderate to heavy wear on the edges. The only crack I see is a repaired crack in the ribs across the treble C bout. See Pic 1. Top is wide grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple. This is an Amati copy with very nice arching! I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, deeper tone quality. Nice depth and great overall tone! Great for bluegrass, but I think this would also be good for other styles of music! Smaller scale (7/8) makes this ideal for smaller hands!

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition. Very light wear on the edges. Very few dents, dings and scratches overall. There are two repaired cracks in the top. They are 3" and 1-1/4", and both to the right of the tailpiece towards the outer edge of the top. Top is very even, fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a bright and clear tone quality. Great for bluegrass!

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in good to very good condition, with some light crackling in the varnish on the top. Moderate wear on the edges. Some dents, dings and scratches overall. I don't see any cracks or repaired cracks. Label inside says "Made for Wall Violin Shop, Sioux City, Iowa 1985." Top is fine grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, moderately bright tone quality. Good depth and responsive. Great for bluegrass, country or Irish music!

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition. Moderate wear on the edges. Dents, dings and scratches overall consistant with age. I see only one repaired crack to the top. It is to one of the corners. See Pic 1. Top is medium grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. Be sure to check out the picture of the back -- it is beautiful! Purfling is etched rather than inlayed. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, bright tone quality. Nice depth, even across all strings. Easy and smooth to play. Great for bluegrass, country or Irish music!

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in good condition, though it does have a lot of wear, dings and scratches. Moderate wear on the edges. I don't see any cracks or repaired cracks, but some of the top and back seams have been reglued at the ribs. Great condition for the age! Nice arching! Top is a fairly even medium grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. I would classify this one as medium to medium loud in volume. Bass end is warm, with a little more brightness on the A and E strings. Warmer tone quality. This would blend well with others.

Overall condition is fair to good. Original varnish is in good condition, though it does have some dents, dings and scratches overall. Light to moderate wear on the edges. This has a faux scroll graft. There are multiple repaired cracks in the top -- I believe I counted 15 total. 2-1/2" repaired crack to the left of the fingerboard; a 1" and a 2" repaired crack to the right of the fingerboard; 1" and 1-1/2" repaired crack on the edge of the upper, treble bout; 1-1/2" repaired crack extending upwards from the treble f-hole; the entire lower part of the treble f-hole has been reglued; 1/2" wing crack on the treble f-hole; 1-1/4", 5" and 4-1/2" repaired cracks extending downwards from the treble f-hole all the way to the edge; 5-1/2" repaired crack to the right of the tailpiece; 1" and 1-1/2" repaired saddle cracks; small "U" shaped crack on the edge of the lower, bass bout; and possibly a repair to the bass f-hole. No soundpost or bassbar cracks. There is a 1-1/2" repaired crack in the back, lower bout, approximately an inch to the edge. Button is ebony capped, and there is a tiny crack from the purfling to the edge on the right side. There is also a small repair to the ribs at the endblock. There is a glued, partial crack in the A peghole that does not extend to the edge of the scroll. Instrument is solidly repaired and ready to play. I have done my best to describe everything, but if you are not comfortable with repairs -- don't purchase this instrument. I have included a lot of extra pictures. Please feel free to ask questions. Top is a fairly even fine grain spruce, and the back, sides and neck are tightly flamed maple. I would classify this one loud in volume. Tone is bright and clear, and this one would be great for bluegrass. Great for any acoustic setting to get you heard! Despite all the repairs, this is a wonderful instrument!

Overall condition is excellent. The original varnish is in excellent condition, with some dents, dings and scratches overall. There are two repaired cracks in the top. One runs from the saddle right alongside the center seam of the top (under the tailpiece) and is about 4-1/2" in length. It is repaired solid, but the seams don't match up exactly so it is visible if you look under the tailpiece. There is also a repaired 1" saddle crack to the of the tailpiece. Super fine-grain spruce top with a nicely flamed maple back, sides and neck. Great sounding instrument and easy to play! I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, moderately bright tone quality. Even across all strings. Great depth, nice bass end, and very responsive. Great for any style of music.

Overall condition is excellent. The original varnish is in excellent condition, with some dents, dings and scratches overall. Wear to edges is light to moderate. I see no cracks or repaired cracks other than a tiny 1/8" crack in one of the ribs that is original to the instrument and comes from bending the ribs to create the curve of the rib. Neck has been shimmed to correct low neck angle. Neck is not quite straight to the top, as can be seen in the front view of the instrument. F-holes are been gouged out somewhat from someone setting the soundpost at some point in time. String spacing at nut is narrow, making this ideal for smaller fingertips! Top is fine to wide-grain spruce. The one-piece back is made from a beautiful piece of quilted maple! Sides are bird's eye maple, and the neck/scroll are nicely flamed maple. This is really an incredible sounding instrument! Warm but powerful, bassy tone quality. Smooth playing and full of vibration. One of my favorites in any price range! Ideal for any style of music in my opinion.

Overall condition is excellent. The original varnish is in fair condition, with lots of dents, dings and scratches overall. Original varnish is also very worn. The scroll has been partially refinished due to bushing. I see several repaired cracks in the top. A repaired 1" saddle crack underneath the chinrest, a repaired 1/2" wing crack on the treble side, and a repaired 3" crack to the right of the tailpiece. I see no other cracks or repaired cracks. There are some crackles in the varnish above the f-holes that look a little like cracks, but they are not. Even, medium-grain spruce top with a lightly flamed maple back, sides and neck. There is the Martin stamp on the back near the button, and also the Martin label inside. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, deep tone quality. Even across all strings. Absolutely beautiful tone! Great for any style of music!

Overall condition is excellent. The original varnish is in good condition, with minor dents, dings and scratches overall. Some wear overall. Moderate wear to the edges. No cracks or repaired cracks. Very even, fine-grain spruce top with a nicely flamed maple back, sides and neck. Fantastic sounding instrument and easy to play! I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, bright tone quality. Good bass end, nice depth and power; responsive. Even across all strings. This is another one of my personal favorites! Great bluegrass fiddle, but would also be good for other styles of music.