http://www.flickr.com/photos/12271467@N03/1907496013/in/set-72157601747972284/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12271467@N03/1907496033/in/set-72157601747972284/

I was given an old really beat-up fiddle a couple of weeks ago. It was stripped of everything but the body and neck. Looked like it had spent many years in a basement or attic. Had a small body split, no fingerboard, no tailpiece, no bridge, strings, etc. It was covered in scratches and much of the clear varnish is in various states of wear. A total mess. I decided not to refinish it, as I sort-of liked the ancient look, but I did spiff it up with scratch cover, lemon oil and neatsfoot oil. Looks way better now. I put all the missing parts on and tuned it up. Boy, was I surprised! This baby had TONE! After a couple days of tinkering and fine tuning, I can confidently say that this is the best sounding fiddle I've ever had the pleasure of owning! I've found myself fiddling around much more the last couple of days than I've done in a long time.

Dave