Violin Forum/Message Board

[actonern]

The May 1988 Strad magazine sets out the following major dimensions of this instrument in their feature review (with poster):

Length:358mm
Upper Bouts: 171mm
Middle Bouts: 115.5
Lower Bouts: 210.5

The Peter Bidulph edited "The Violin Masterpieces of Guarneri Del Gesu" Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition booklet identifies this same instrument thus:

Length: 353.5mm
Upper Bout: 166.5 mm
Middle Bout: 108 mm
Lower Bout: 203.5

I don't get this. Even allowing for "over the arch" vs. true edge to edge differences resulting from how the measuring is done, there is no way, especially given the low arch of this instrument that the lower bouts, for instance could be 7 mm different, "depending on how you measure."

Something is amis.

Has anyone on this forum examined or knows for a fact which, if any, of these measurements are most accurate for this instrument?

Thanks

[MANFIO]

I would go with Biddulphs measurements (that were taken with a caliper, not "LOB", if I'm not wrong).

I imagine there is no 358 Del Gesù, in general they are more on the small size, on Biddulph's book there is one that is 349, I think.
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[KenN]

I have the Strad poster but haven't got around to studying it yet. But, the poster is drawn as the Bidulph measurements. Don't know where they got the others.