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Full Size Used & Vintage Violins / Fiddles

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Bluegrass Shack Productions has one of the finest selections of fractional and full size violins and fiddles over the internet. All of our instruments come set up and ready to play, and there are sound clips of each one for you to listen to. We are currently in the process of photographing and recording our vintage fiddles, which number over 500 in all, so if you don't see what you are looking for, feel free to contact us. Most of our vintage fiddles start at $300.

We do carry new cases (starting at $50 with purchase of instrument) and bows (starting at $45 with purchase of instrument) and can get you a price quote upon request.

Bluegrass Shack Productions wants you to be satisfied with your purchase. If you are looking for a fiddle and you don't know what size to order, or if you aren't sure if you should buy new, used, or vintage, take a look at this information from the LearnBluegrass website.

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is, "What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin?" There is no difference in the instrument at all. The setup of the instrument might be slightly different, such as a different brand of string or a different bridge curvature. Usually classical players refer to the instrument as a violin, and bluegrass, country and folk musicians will refer to it as a fiddle. Your purchase will work for any style of music!

If you save your receipt, you will also be able to trade in your fiddle for a different size (for children starting on a less than full size instrument) or for a more expensive one later on. We offer great trade-in values, many times giving you the full amount you paid for your instrument when it is returned to us in good condition with the original receipt.

Instruments may be purchased using a credit card or your checking account through PayPal. This is free for buyers. You may also call us with your credit card number. If you would like to purchase with a check or money order, please contact us at BluegrassShack@aol.com for instructions. Thank you and happy looking!

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Used 4/4 Yamaha V-5 Violin/Fiddle $399
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 2465

SOLD!J. Yamaha, Model V-5, ca. 2016. This instrument features ebony pegs, ebony fingerboard, metal tailpiece with four fine tuners, ebony chinrest, and upgraded Prelude strings. Body length is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/4".

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition, with a few dings and scratches overall. No visible wear to the edges. No cracks or repaired cracks. Top is fine-grained spruce, with a lightly flamed maple back, sides and neck. I would classify this one as loud in volume with a moderaly bright tone quality. Great for bluegrass, Irish or folk.

Does not include case or bow.

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Used 4/4 Violin/Fiddle $399
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 3391

SOLD! Kurt Wittelsbach, Made in West Germany, ca. 1987. This wonderful instrument features ebony pegs, ebony fingerboard, ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners, plastic chinrest, and steel strings. Body length is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/2".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in good condition, with numerous dents, dings and scratches overall. There is moderate wear to the edges. There is a tiny, 1/8" tight saddle crack in the top over the block. No other cracks or repaired cracks. Top is very even, fine-grained spruce, with a nicely flamed maple back, sides and neck. The neck is slightly more narrow at the nut, so string spacing is better suited to smaller hands. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume with a bright, clear tone quality. Great for bluegrass, Irish or folk.

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage Czech Violin/Fiddle $575
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 727

SOLD! Vintage Czech, ca. 1920, from the Schoenbach region. This instrument features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and steel strings. The body is 14-1/8", with an overall length of 23-3/8".

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in good condition, though it does have a lot of chips, dents, dings and scratches. Moderate to heavy wear on the edges. There are two well-repaired cracks in the top, including a repaired saddle crack on the treble side that is about 3-1/2" long, and a repaired 2-1/2 crack to the left of the fingerboard. No other cracks or repaired cracks. One corner of the top on the bass side has been chipped and is missing. This will not affect the tone or playability of the instrument. Instrument is solid and ready to play! Nice flaming on the maple back! I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume. It has a bright, clear tone quality.

Does not include case or bow.

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Used 4/4 Romanian Violin/Fiddle Outfit $725
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 4239

SOLD! Nice depth and warmth! This is a Knilling Bucharest made in Romania, model 5KF. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and upgraded Prelude strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/4".

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition, with virtually no dents, dings or scratches. No wear to the edges. No cracks or repaired cracks. Top is fine to wide-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are nicely flamed maple. I would classify this one as moderately loud to loud in volume, with a warm, slightly bassy tone quality. Nice depth! Beautiful tone quality! Great for any style of music!

Comes complete with case and bow.

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Used 4/4 Violin/Fiddle Outfit $1025
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 2555

SOLD!This is a great sounding instrument and very smooth to play! This one features fancy boxwood pegs; ebony fingerboard; boxwood tailpiece with four fine tuners; boxwood chinrest; and upgraded Prelude strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23".

Overall condition is excellent. Original varnish is in excellent condition, but is also originally antiqued, so it looks vintage. No cracks or repaired cracks. Top is medium to wide-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are nicely flamed maple. I would classify this one asloud in volume, with a full, moderate all around tone quality. Even across all strings! Great for all styles of music! You will fall in love with this one!

Comes complete with used case and bow.

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Vintage French JTL Violin/Fiddle $1050
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 3432

Vintage JTL French, ca. 1920. Great deal on a French instrument! This one features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and steel strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition with dents, dings and scratches overall. There is a 3-1/4" repaired crack in the top extending upwards from the treble f-hole. There is also a repaired 4-1/2" crack in the top under the chinrest that extends from the bottom edge to the bass f-hole. I see no other cracks or repaired cracks. Top is medium to wide-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. Purfling is etched. I would classify this one as medium loud to loud in volume, with a moderate all around tone quality. Even across all strings! Neck is slightly more narrow at the nut, making this more ideal for smaller fingers. Great for all styles of music! Great price!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage Grafted Carlo Micelli Violin/Fiddle $1275
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 4293

What a wonderful instrument! Made in Germany, ca. 1922. Label reads "Carlo Micelli Anno 1922." The "22" is written in pen on the label. It features fancy ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and upgraded Prelude strings. The body is 14-1/4", with an overall length of 23-1/2".

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in okay condition with heat damage. Antiqued finish, so lots of dents, dings or scratches overall. It looks like this might have been in a fire (See Back Picture), but it is in great, playable condition now. Top is fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are highly flamed maple! The instrument has been grafted at the scroll and the heel. There are three repaired cracks in the top. Two are 1" in length and are saddle cracks. The third is a 7" repaired crack that runs slightly to the right of the center seam. There is a repair to the back at the button. All nicely repaired. There is a small chip to one of the top corners and the rib at the same place. See Pic 1. Scroll has been bushed. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a moderately bright tone quality. Really wonderful tone with good depth! Even across all strings! Great bluegrass fiddle!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage French JTL Violin/Fiddle $1275
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 1068

SOLD!Really nice, deeper tone quality! Made in France, ca. 1920's. Features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and upgraded Prelude strings. The body is 14-1/8", with an overall length of 23-1/8".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in good condition with lots of dents, dings and scratches overall. Moderate wear to the edges. Top is even, very fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. Purfling is etched. There is a repair at the block to the top. See Pic 1. Center seam has been reglued in that area and it is slightly uneven, but can't be seen unless you look under the tailpiece. I would classify this one as moderately loud in volume, with a full, warm tone quality. Very forgiving tone! Great for any style of music!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage German Hopf Violin/Fiddle $1299
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 1870

Wonderfully bassy tone quality! Hopf, made in Germany, ca. 1870. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and upgraded Prim strings. The body is 14-1/8", with an overall length of 23-1/8".

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in okay condition with lots of dents, dings or scratches overall. There is a repaired 2-1/2" crack in the top to the right of the fingerboard. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. It looks like one of the corners was broken off and reglued at one time. Very good job and hard to notice even when you are looking for it. There is a gap between the ribs at the endblock. Not a big deal, but it's a little bit larger than normal. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a bassy tone quality. Great depth and great tone! Good for any style of music!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage Lyon & Healy Violin/Fiddle $1565
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 1697

What a great hoedown fiddle! This is a Lyon & Healy, imported from Germany to Chicago, ca. 1890-1900. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with fine tuners; plastic chinrest; and steel strings. The body is 14-1/8", with an overall length of 23-1/2".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in good condition with dents, dings and scratches overall. Top is medium to fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are nicely flamed maple! There is a 1" repaired saddle crack in the top. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. The ribs have been reglued at the endblock. I would classify this as one loud in volume, with a smooth, moderately bright tone quality. Even across all strings! Great for bluegrass and will get you heard in any acoustic jam setting! Don't let this one get away!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage E. Martin Violin/Fiddle $1675
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 4428

Wow! What a fine sounding instrument for the money! And look at the beautifully flamed maple back! This Amati copy was made by E. Martin in Sachsen, ca. 1900. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with Parisian eye and four fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and Dominant strings. The body is 14-1/8", with an overall length of 23-1/8".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in good condition with some dents, dings and scratches overall. Varnish on top is worn except in the middle where the bridge is. It has not been refinished. Top is very fine to wide-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are beautifully flamed maple! There is a 2-1/2" repaired saddle crack in the top under the tailpiece. There is a crease in one of the ribs that is original to the instrument when it was made due to bending the wood. See Pic 1. Neck has been reset, and there are a few little chips there. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. Instrument is solid and ready to play! I would classify this as one loud in volume, with a smooth, slightly deep and warm tone quality. Very even across all strings, including the E string! Great for any style of music! Highly recommended!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage French JTL Breton Violin/Fiddle $1725
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 958

Wow! What a tone on this one! JTL (Jerome Thibouville-Lamy) Breton, Paris, ca. 1900. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and upgraded Vision strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/2".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in okay condition with plenty of dents, dings and scratches overall. Top is very even, medium-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple! It has two repaired cracks in the top. There is a 6" repaired crack that runs from the treble f-hole to the top edge. There is also a 1" repaired crack to the right of the tailpiece. There is a scratch under the bridge where the wood is indented that is NOT a crack. There are some tiny cracks in the corner of the ribs where they are glued and blocked. Nothing that will go anywhere or affect the stability of the instrument. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a smooth, full, moderately bright tone quality. Even across all strings and nice bass end. Great for all styles of music! This is a great price for this instrument!

Does not include case or bow.

Additional Views: Click photo for larger front view

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Vintage Frederick August Heberlein Violin/Fiddle $1750
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 2463

Frederick August Heberlein, made in German, ca. 1907. It features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; composite tailpiece with fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and upgraded Chromcor strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/4".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in good condition with lots of dents, dings and scratches overall. Top is very even, fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple! It has two repaired cracks in the top. Both are about 2" in length and they are on either side of the tailpiece. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. Back and ribs have been reglued at the endblock. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a moderately bright tone quality. Nice projection and perfect for bluegrass music!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage Martin Violin/Fiddle $1875
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 16EA

SOLD!Vintage Martin, ca. 1900-1920. Beautiful instrument in great condition! This one features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; ebony tailpiece with four fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and Dominant strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/8".

Overall condition is very good. Original varnish is in very good condition with dents, dings and scratches overall. Moderate wear to the edges. There is a well repaired crack in the rib near the endpin. See "End" picture. The top corners (bee stings) are all chipped. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. Top is very even, super fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are nicely flamed maple. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a clear tone quality. This would cut through any acoustic jam session very nicely! Great for bluegrass or Irish music!

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage American Lindsey Violin/Fiddle $2100
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 3JS

Vintage American, made by Lindsey in June 1916, #141. Label is signed. Great sounding instrument with a deep tone quality and super smooth to play! This collectible features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; composite tailpiece with four fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and Vision strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/4".

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in poor condition with lots of heat damage (crackling), wear, and dents, dings and scratches overall. Moderate to heavy wear to the edges. There are three well repaired cracks in the top near the tailpiece. This includes one repaired 5" crack to the right of the tailpiece, a 2-1/2" repaired crack just to the left of the tailpiece, and another repaired 5" crack to the left of the tailpiece under the chinrest. There is also a 2" repaired crack in the top to the left of the fingerboard. I don't see any other cracks or repaired cracks. It has what looks like custom ebony fittings (looks like "donut holes") around each of the pegs. Top is very even, super fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are lightly flamed maple. One-piece maple back! I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a deeper tone quality. Super smooth to play! Such a joy! I would recommend this instrument in a heartbeat! PLEASE NOTE: This is on consignment here and is not returnable or eligible for 100% trade-in. If you have questions or need more pictures, please ask! I recommend coming in to try this one out personally. Highly collectible and playable! Appraised at $3000.

Does not include case or bow.

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Vintage Nicolaus Reis Violin/Fiddle $6000
INCLUDES SHIPPING/Insurance (US mainland only)
Reference No. 1824

In stock -- must be purchased in person. Vintage Nicolaus Reis, ca. 1824. What a beautiful tone quality! This one features ebony pegs; ebony fingerboard; metal tailpiece with four fine tuners; ebony chinrest; and upgraded strings. The body is 14", with an overall length of 23-1/4".

Overall condition is good. Original varnish is in fair condition with lots of dents, dings and scratches overall. Moderate to heavy wear to the edges. There are multiple repairs to this instrument. It is a consignment instrument, and due to that and the overall value of the instrument, it will not be shipped. You need to come see and play this in person. Scroll has been grafted, and the pegs bushed. Neat purfling that is super close to the edges of the top and back. Nice arching! Top is super fine-grained spruce, and the back, sides and neck are maple. I would classify this one as loud in volume, with a full, wonderfully bassy sound! Good depth. Smooth and easy to play. I think this would be good for all styles of music. Includes hard case and papers.

Includes hard case.

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For more information about any of these violins or if you are looking for something that is not listed here, please send an e-mail to BluegrassShack@aol.com.

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Last updated: September 7, 2023
Contact information: BluegrassShack@aol.com