Wenzl Fuchs Violin Elfersdorf-Erlangen, Germany circa 1975

click picture to enlarge

Wenzl Fuchs is a Master Violin Maker in Eltersdorf, near Erlangen, the bigger college town. Wenzl came from a family of makers in the Czech village of Schönbach. He and his family were forced out of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War and settled in the Franconian region of Germany. He is known for his choice of tone woods, arching of the plates, and his clean carving lines, all beautifully executed.

The spruce top had well pronounced medium-width grain which widens towards the flanks. The woods are beautiful. The maple back is highly flamed of medium width and the ribs, neck, and scroll match. To say this violin is gorgeous is an understatement. The look and lines of the instrument are excellent, with the f hole being Amati in style. The scroll and the execution of the corners are spot on. The oil varnish is an orange/brown on a golden ground and shows few signs of natural wear. Yes, the violin has been played and well taken care of. We have restored one top plate saddle crack. This area has been cleated and touched up. We have completely given the instrument a new set up: set of pegs with brass eyes and a ring, camber work, nut work, new bridge and soundpost. The violin also has a German Wittner tailpiece and an ebony Teka chinrest along with a matching end button. The condition is very good.

Corpus 357.0 mm., Major Width 207.0 mm., Minor Width 169.0 mm., Rib Height30.0 mm.

The sound jumps off the strings. The violin rings and is rich and smooth with sustain. The bass side of the violin is warm and mature to my ear. The violin has no edginess or standalone notes. Yes, lush power that has very nice sustain. The E and A strings ring with power and match the bottom end very well. The violin lays well and is so easy to play. Your ear might say warm, but it is a joy to play even up into higher positions. This violin checks off many boxes when looking for a German great sounding violin. If you’re ready to move up into a better violin you may have found it. This violin will rival instruments in the 5-6 K range. Proven maker, European tonewoods, and superb craftsmanship.