Lynch2b2ofX 1880 Coffin Violin Case Restoration

Comments from the owner who commissioned me to restore these two violins and cases: [I never saw anyone playing this violin, but do remember being taking to what they called "barn dances".  There would be fiddlers, guitars, banjos playing to square dancing and the small kids would play outside or sit around the walls.  The barn dances would be held on the full moon. Saturday nights, when the weather was good. I was eight years old when he died. I'm almost sure that he played at these dances when he was younger.] - Mr. Lynch's Grandson.



Mr Lynch brought me two violins and two cases. They were owned by his grandfather William James Elias Lynch (Jim) Born January 6, 1861, Died August 26, 1948.

He's having me restore them for his grandaughters who are first and second chair in the state orchestra for South Carolina in 2020.

James E. Holland / Sandy Collins Violin Restoration

This violin was the property of Sandy's Dad. He received it sometime around the 1940's. The violin case that he kept it in was stamped Germany which would imply that it was made sometime after 1880 when the practice of marking country of origin started. So if this case and violin started life together, then they might be German made sometime between 1880 and 1940.

The violin was cracked and the finish was poor but there were no rattles or buzzes that would require opening the body so I left it closed and concentrated on the finish. The pegs all needed some adjustment and one was broken.

McLauchlin 1902 Cammeyer Banjo Restoration

The owner has put this banjo up for sale. 

If you are interested, call Keith at 

706-923-0031. 

Includes an excellent new hardshell case in tan tweed.

The repair of this Cammeyer banjo is to be as a sentimental object bought in London at the Portobello Road Market in 1971 when the owner was in college. We believe it was made around 1902 in London. I've not yet found a reference to identify it by it's serial number. In addition to the regular stamp marks on the base of the neck / on top, there is a stamp on the base of the neck / on the bottom that says "MOET&C - BOMBAY". Today this is a liquor company. So It's conjecture on my part to imagine it was a promotional item in India for Moet, distributed to hill stations for entertainment. (If anyone reading this knows if this is a common stamp or unusual. Or any other details about these stamps, please contact me. I'd be very grateful)

The condition is about average for a 125 year old instrument. I believe is has been repaired before because there are some nails where I think they probably wouldn't have been. And the finnish on the back is rough.

This is a fairly rare banjo, at least on the auction market in 2019. I only found three with prices. In great shape a similar banjo is offered at $600. One other fancier model from this maker was listed at over $1000, and I saw one in  Australia priced at $6000.

The appalachian clawhammer style of primitive american music is experiencing a resurgence of late, which spawns more interest in instruments of the period. Nothing is more "cool" than to show up at your jam with an antique instrument in good working order.

I've cleaned and restored the instrument, interfering with the original material as little as possible, while repairing what's necessary to make it "playable".
A genuine antique from England, it's certainly worth repairing it to make it playable and put it in good shape to use. But I resisted replacing the very worn and deteriorated parts with new parts, in favor of stabilizing and repairing the existing.

How the London address label came to be in the case

The owner was a student when she bought this banjo and took it with her on a ski trip to switzerland. She accidently left it behind when she returned. Her friends mailed it back to her in london and it found her even though the address was incomplete. The shipping label has stayed with it since.

#1 / 5
Inspection / Condition assessment.


#2 / 5
Tuning Pegs Consolidation


#3 / 5
Back / Binding / Finish


#4 / 5
Fretboard
#5 / 5
Final Setup
#6 / 5
Test Drive

1900 Stainer Violin Repair No.1

The repair of this Stainer violin is to be as a sentimental object inherited from Fred H. Romine by his nephew Doug Romine. It's almost certainly made around 1900 to 1910 in Germany. It's also probably a copy. It has had some very rough handling and since Fred lived in Miami, the humid environment didn't help. There were several new cracks, several old repaired cracks, old neck resets, residual glue, and generally poor treatment overall. The neck and fingerboard were at a very low and inappropriate angle and after a few hours with the strings on, the neck detached itself saving me the trouble.

In great shape this violin is worth about $400, possibly more if it's in outstanding condition. But with so many cracks and scratches, I suggested to the client to "celebrate" the rough road the fiddle has traveled with his uncle and preserve the scratches bumps and bruises as a badge of honor.
As a genuine antique from Europe, it's certainly worth repairing it to make it playable and put it in good shape to use. But is probably not worth a full restoration which would probably require a new top plate. Hence the diamond shaped patches in cedar shown in the last photo.
The neck is on, the plate cracks are patched, soon to varnish...


Stainer label inside.

lots of residue from old repairs

Several severe cracks repaired. 

Cedar diamond patches "celebrate" the journey.

Mandolin Making

Oren Siders, Paul Jacobs, Keith Rowell working on a mandolin in Oren's shop.