Violin
Maker
C. Barton Rice
Date1951
Place MadeLincoln, Nebraska, United States, North America
Modelnone
Serial No.none
SignedWritten in pencil on inside of back, the lettering curved downward at each end: C. BARTON RICE / JUNE 1951 / LINCOLN NEB.MarkingsStamped or branded on back, the lettering curved downward at each end: THE GODSEND
DescriptionExperimental model with long neck and short, guitar-shaped body
Top: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce: medium grain broadening to very wide at the flanks; nickel-silver bar with rounded edges (fashioned from butter knife handle, the decorative, oval pattern still visible on underside) and two cork pads at points of contact with top, the bar fastened to top with nickel-plated brass nut and screw, passing through top and bassbar: this device can be rotated and secured in various positions by tightening the nut
Back: two-piece maple cut off-the-quarter: faint, very narrow curl descending from center joint; pith flecks
Ribs: maple or sycamore cut off-the quarter: plain; two-piece ribs
Head and neck: dark brown, open pored tropical hardwood (Philippine mahogany?) (according to John Koster, who examined a sample microscopically, this is not South American/African mahogany, 7/6/03); long; bulge on neck at third position; curved, open headstock terminating in decoratively-cut upper edge; recessed, textured, and gilded band running along middle of surfaces of upper headstock face
Arching: full
Edging: very slightly scooped; edges not rounded
Purfling: very wide, light mahogany-like outer strips
Varnish: light golden; blacking on back edges and on ribs for shading and to disguise wood and workmanship flaws
Fingerboard: dark brown, open pored tropical hardwood (Philippine mahogany?) (according to John Koster, who examined a sample microscopically, this is not South American/African mahogany, 7/6/03); u-shaped lower end; alternating maple and stained hardwood strips at joint between neck and fingerboard; string length shortened to different lengths on each string using wood and cardboard
Nut: medium brown hardwood (John Koster did not consider this worth microscopic ID, 7/6/03)
Tailpiece: ebony; nickel-silver saddle and eye; edges filled off
Tailgut: magenta gut painted black
Pegs: four ash; rectangular heads with one rounded edge, the other side longer and undercut; turned groove on shaft
Saddle: maple; set into top; finished with same varnish as body
Endpin: rosewood
Bridge: round kidneys and high, round heart
Chinrest: sycamore (according to John Koster, 7/6/03), with separate maple ridge toward Player fastened with two steel screws onto sycamore; fastened to top with iron screws and brass nuts, passing through inside of body via holes drilled in top and back
F-holes: curved upper and lower wings; large, steeply offset notches; outer notch lower than inner notch; undercut
Linings: maple
Corner blocks: none
Top block: spruce
Bottom block: spruce
Bassbar: carved from top; wide
Other: ebony brace between upper and lower blocks; burn marks visible on inside of ribs
DimensionsTotal Violin length: 600 mm
Back length: 329 mm
Upper bout width: 149 mm
Center bout width: 106 mm
Lower bout width: 185 mm
Upper rib height: 28-30 mm
Center rib height: 29-30 mm
Lower rib height: 30-31 mm
Stop length: 159 mm
Vibrating string length: E: 324 mm; A: 325 mm; D: 329 mm; G: 332 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 179 mm
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979
Object number01418
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