6 replies to this topic

[TimRobinson]

I just noticed this 1964 A E Smith on ebay. I think it the same instrument I saw some years ago for sale at a shop in Sydney. My daughter played it at the time, a very nice sound but very little power. Sad to see how ill health had impacted on the great man's work.

Tim

[jacobsaunders]

At the end of the 50`s Desmond(?) Hill was trying to persuade my father to go and work for Smith. He didn`t in the end. Had he gone, I would be an Australian now. The (only a couple of) Smith violins that I have seen were really good. This one looks like a rubbishy self-taught hobby fiddle, so that I can`t believe for a second that this is a Smith. Perhaps the Australian colleagues would like to comment.

[Bishopstrings]

Hi Jacob
I'm an Aussie violin dealer...well, living in London for 20 years! anyway, I've sold many Smith instruments in Australia and I can confirm this violin is a Smith post stroke violin. He could only use one arm for making then due to terrible ill health. So this is the result! He was also 84 when he made it!
Funny thing though...these instruments sound as good as any he made! I know a great viola in London, C1962-4 that looks terrible...but sounds like a dream. He had fantastic wood.
best,
Sean Bishop

[TimRobinson]

Hi Jacob
I'm an Aussie violin dealer...well, living in London for 20 years! anyway, I've sold many Smith instruments in Australia and I can confirm this violin is a Smith post stroke violin. He could only use one arm for making then due to terrible ill health. So this is the result! He was also 84 when he made it!
Funny thing though...these instruments sound as good as any he made! I know a great viola in London, C1962-4 that looks terrible...but sounds like a dream. He had fantastic wood.
best,
Sean Bishop

As I said in the first post, I'm pretty sure this is the one my daughter played in the shop a few years ago. It had a lovely, but soft, sound. I'll be interested to see how it goes on ebay. I wonder if things like this are a real investment. Good Smiths are, so I suppose this will also apprecaite.

Tim

[mysticpaw]

As I said in the first post, I'm pretty sure this is the one my daughter played in the shop a few years ago. It had a lovely, but soft, sound. I'll be interested to see how it goes on ebay. I wonder if things like this are a real investment. Good Smiths are, so I suppose this will also apprecaite.

Tim

Evidently it was listed on ebay in 2008 with a buy it now tag of AU$38000 and didn't sell .... probably because of it's appearance rather than it's sound. I played it many years ago when with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society in Sydney ... nice instrument for light orchestral work, but had to dig in hard to get any real "oomph" into the sound. Still, at $20k probably not a bad buy, although I feel there are better fiddles around for less outlay.

[Flyboy]

I'll preface by stating to the best of my knowledge, I've never seen A. E. Smith fiddle in person. Nor am I aware of his medical history aside from knowing that he had a series of debilitating strokes starting around 1961, and presumably each subsequent stroke made his health worse.

However, the Violin Center has a photo of his work, ostensibly made in 1963, just a year or so before the fiddle listed on ebay.
http://www.violincen...C2971_Smith.jpg

Anyone know how exactly his health turned for the worse between 1963 and 1964?

[TimRobinson]

I'll preface by stating to the best of my knowledge, I've never seen A. E. Smith fiddle in person. Nor am I aware of his medical history aside from knowing that he had a series of debilitating strokes starting around 1961, and presumably each subsequent stroke made his health worse.

However, the Violin Center has a photo of his work, ostensibly made in 1963, just a year or so before the fiddle listed on ebay.
http://www.violincen...C2971_Smith.jpg

Anyone know how exactly his health turned for the worse between 1963 and 1964?

Alan's book says the stroke was in mid 1961 and that Kitty and Rod wheeled him to his bench every day. After a few months he staarted sorting his tools and eventually started to show interest in making again. A commission was finished in 1962. He continued making until 1970.

Tim