Otto Jacob Violin – Markneukirchen 1926

click picture to enlarge

Label:

Otto Jacob was born in Markneukirchen, Saxony in 1894. A great place to be born into a musical instrument family. He was a part of a large family of Jacobs makers in the region. He was entrusted as an apprentice to Oskar Gustav Prager of Markneukirchen, a highly regarded maker and teacher, which doesn’t always go hand in hand. This town became a global hub for musical instrument making beginning in 1677 when Bohemian Protestant refugees fleeing persecution came as farmers and a good portion of them were violin makers who established the first violin makers’ guild. This 17th century guild set high standards for making and was focused on violins, bows, and other string instruments. The town of Markneukirchen did more than just flourish through the 19th century, it exploded in wealth, attracted more commerce, and supplied a large portion of the world’s instruments up to World War II.

Our violin is from this period, before WW II. The violin is in very good condition, showing off Jacob’s clean craftsmanship. The spruce top has a fine to medium width straight grain. The maple back is highly flamed with the ribs, neck, and scroll matching. The certificate states that the violin is strictly hand made in all its parts. The violin has the original certificate from the maker dated December 2, 1926, and is signed. The woods for this instrument were growing in the 1800’s, harvested in the early 1900’s, then thoroughly seasoned, naturally dried and selected in 1926 to become this instrument. In 2025 we meticulously went over the entire violin and carved new fittings in ebony, cambered the fingerboard, reworked the nut, and cut a new soundpost and Despiau bridge.

Corpus 358.0 mm., Major Width 207.0 mm., Minor Width 170.0 mm., Rib Height 30.0 mm.

The violin rings out smooth and bold, with plenty of resonance. The sound, in my book, is a Wow! It leans to the darker side and is full of earthy colors. I almost want to call it a rounded robust sound. The violinist will feel the instrument speak and it delivers a tone that I find powerful, yet even, on all the voices. The sound is mature and very pleasant to hear, like walking into your home where your mom is baking pecan and apple pies. A well carved 100-year-old winner in craftsmanship and sound.