mnvsos

Hi all - I'm hoping somebody with some experience and a good eye can tell me a little bit more about my violin.  This is the instrument that I learned on and I still play occasionally (my primary instrument is now viola).  What makes this violin unusual, as far as I can tell, is that it is quite "narrow" compared to a standard 4/4 instrument.  Here are some measurements:

Body length: 356mm
Upper bout width: 155mm
Center bout width: 106mm
Lower bout width: 195mm
Neck/fingerboard width at nut: 22mm
Rib height: 30mm (tailpiece), 28mm (neck)
Arching on back is about 13mm, I did not measure carefully.  Front is slightly less.  Plate overhang is small, and uneven (between maybe 1.75mm and .5mm)

So based on the measurements the width seems to be much closer to a 3/4 instrument, but the length is clearly a 4/4.  

Any ideas on maker/style/age (I know it is at least 60 years old, and general location where it was purchased around 60 years ago, but no more than that) would be appreciated.  No label.  Has full linings (look like spruce to me) and corner blocks (linings do NOT appear to be mortised into the blocks).  It came with an unexceptional 3/4 size bow stamped "JOSEF RICHTER", but I don't know any history about the bow either.






More pictures here:  

Hi everybody - I've been reading this forum for a while, off and on, and working on my first violin for longer than I'd care to admit (it sat in a closet for about the last 6 or 7 years!).  Anyway, I am working on the back and I came across a knot or some sort of defect in the wood.  Unfortunately it was not visible from either side of the wood when I started; it's only been revealed as I carve down.  At this point I'm just treating this as a learning experience as I have already made many mistakes, so I'm not too worried about screwing something up, but I would like some ideas on how to deal with this.  I suppose if I were a professional maker I might just throw it out and start over with new wood, but I'd like to salvage this in some way.

The defect is about 20mm wide, 8mm high, and extends maybe 2.5 to 3mm deep (unsure at this point, as I have not yet hollowed the back, but it is not visible from the inside right now), so it will definitely be close to penetrating the entire thickness of the plate when finished.

Should I carve or cut this out and try to patch it in place somehow before I hollow the back?  If so, what would that patch look like?  Or should I fill it with some sort of wood filler?  Or leave a hole in my violin???  

Photo of the problem (board isn't letting me attach or link to images directly, maybe because I'm a brand new member?): Violin back knot