Rare French 3/4 violin by Nicolas Vuillaume, "Stentor"

This historic French 3/4 violin is an instrument with a striking sound. It hails from the workshop of Nicolas Vuillaume and was made around 1870 -- a late testimony to the close working relationship between Nicolas and his brother Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, who was two years his senior. In addition to the instruments of the “Saint-Cécile des Ternes” label, the Vuillaumes also crafted violins under the highly successful “Stentor” label, which featured a deliberately simple aesthetic intended to highlight the instruments’ outstanding acoustic properties. This Nicolas Vuillaume 3/4 violin, which was named “Stentor” after the hero with the mighty voice from Homer’s Iliad, does great honour to its namesake. Its powerful yet melting voice is bright and has a resonant sound, and its unique character also has a soft note to it. The one-piece back of gently flamed maple and the top of premium moderately-grained spruce clearly reflect Nicolas Vuillaume’s style, the culmination of which can be seen in this instrument, which still has the original Stentor label. Interesting traces of use on the top along the fingerboard indicate that this Nicolas Vuillaume 3/4 violin was played often and by sophisticated musicians. Some minor repairs have no impact on either the musical quality or the appearance of this violin, which has been kept in crack-free condition. We warmly recommend it as a tonally exceptional instrument.

This 3/4 violin can be traded back as part of our trade-in guarantee when you buy a 4/4 instrument from us.