A German DURRO Violin circa 1910 Imported by Samuel Buegeleisen- Fantastic Sound

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I love doing research and writing on the instruments we restore here at the shop. I spent way to many hours with my nose in books and calling other makers to try to determine and identify. Growing up, my home was in the New York/New Jersey area. With close to eight million people in that area, and well before “Antiques Road Show,” my dad and I gathered quite a collection of instruments and bows with no help from cell phones or computers. Within a decade of collecting, we gathered close to 600 instruments and many more bows. This violin has two labels inside the violin. The Durro label and a non-descript Stradivarius label.

Samuel Buegeleisen (1871-1957) and David Jacobson (1869-1904) worked for Tonks Bros. Co. in Chicago before going into business together in the 1890’s and establishing themselves in New York City in 1901. Jacobson passed away soon after in 1904, leaving Buegeleisen as the sole owner of what would become one of the largest musical import businesses of the early 20th century. The Durro name was used by the Buegeleisen & Jacobson firm, importers of the Salvadore de Durro violins in the early 20th century. This is a very good trade violin, a gem, imported from Germany and making its way to America. The violin has been played and has excellent bones. We have meticulously gone over the entire violin giving it a new set of ebony pegs with diamond helms in brass and a matching tailpiece, new bridge and soundpost, and a new Guarneri style chin rest. The top plate is two-piece spruce with fine to medium grain. The back plate and ribs are splendid; two-piece medium-width highly flamed maple. The maker went all out on this trade violin.

Corpus 358.0 mm. Major Width 206.5 mm. Minor Width 168.0 mm. Rib Height 29.5-30.0 mm.

The sound is superb! The instant I started plucking and tuning up the violin I was saying Wow! The violin has great response, and a presence to the sound that made the violin jump. The bottom end has that nice edge to the maturity of tone. This gives an instrument great overtone and carrying power. The sound is not muddy or covered, the violin speaks well. The treble side also has power with a little bit of drive. The top strings have vibrancy and life and are slightly brighter than the bottom strings. This violin has it. Magnificent response, strength of tone, and the sound projects.