My great-grandfather ordered a violoncello of Betts in the year 1780, to be made by Betts himself. London, c.1785. If on the other hand, you are a person who cannot afford to buy such a violin, you might be able to actually own a fine violin which is very close, for a fraction of the cost. 35.6 cm London, 1810 c. after "Nicolo Amati", 73.6 cm London, Early 19th C. [Workshop of]. 1795 John Betts for Sale at Fine Fretted String Instruments The Oberlin violin makers workshop has been in operation for fifteen years. If you currently own a John Betts Violin, click the button below to receive a free valuation: 2023 Brompton's Auctioneers Limited | The First Floor 33 Percy St. London W1T 2DF, Web design by Karolo 86-87 Wimpole Street Betts was a talented maker himself and also employed some of the most talented English makers of the period, including . The Betts family name came to prominence in the violin making world thanks to the work of John Betts, born in Stamford in 1752. Article. He most often worked from the Amati model. He famously bought the 'Betts' Stradivari violin for the sum of one guinea from a naive customer around 1820. John Betts came from Stamford, Lincolnshire, and came to London in 1765 to apprentice with Richard Duke, rising to become the shop foreman after seven years, and eventually buying the business from Dukes daughter, reforming the company under his own name by 1781. He did not make many instruments himself, but employed excellent workmen, such as the Panormos, John Carter, Edward Betts, Bernhard Fendt, &c. The work is excellent, but poor instruments were occasionally sold by him, bearing his label. John Betts Auction Results. The one inserted into the violoncello just referred to reads : John Betts - Maker - Brompton's Auctioneers Betts instruments tend to exhibit very high standards of craftsmanship . 11th Floor New York, NY 10019 John R. Waddle Violins Inc. - Instrument Making Betts Workshop Violin, London circa 1820 | Sold You already have a Tarisio account. Article. In Images: Making a Stradivarius Violin | Live Science London His own workmanship was replaced by the efforts of his many employees after about 1790 and these represented the cream of the London profession, including John Carter, Joseph and Henry Lockey Hill, Richard Tobin and the Fendts. How much is my John Betts Violin worth? The Library of Congress would like to learn more about these materials and would like to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information or know of their history. In 1781 he was established there independently and in the following year he moved to the Royal Exchange, where he remained for the rest of his career. Using a carefully selected matching top, back, neck and scroll carved by Steve Rossow on his CNC machine directly from computer files generated from CT scans of "the Betts" violin, the Oberlin Betts copy was completed by the class as a group project to the point of being playable but without varnish. His teacher had been none other than the famous violinist, Giovanni Battista Viotti, who played a 1709 golden period Stradivari violin, so Arthur knew what he was doing. What a good looking bunch! Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our site, detect errors, and provide better overall analytics. photograph | 35 photographs : color | Photograph (Form). 1790 Bow maker / Violin maker Ok, got it! John Betts cello, London circa 1810 First Name (*) Last Name (*) Bridgewood & Neitzert l UK's Leading Violin Dealers, Restorers, & Makers Violins and Violin Makers Biographical Dictionary of the Great Italian Artistes, their Followers and Imitators, to the present time. The 2010 project was to make a copy of the "Ole Bull" Guarneri violin, which was finished in 2011 . This catalog data provides the details known to the Library of Congress regarding the corresponding items and may assist users in making independent assessments of the legal status of these items as related to their desired uses. JOHN BETTS A VIOLIN, LONDON, CIRCA 1780 Unlabeled, branded at the button BETTS ROYAL EXCHANGE LONDON, branded at the end pin J. BETTS, length of back: 13 13/16 in. John Betts, Violin, c.1790, London ~ Frederick W. Oster Fine Violins Leaders of the group are chosen to be in charge of different parts of the project each year. Privacy Policy The varnish is extremely well preserved and retains some of its original texture. Betts Workshop Violin, London circa 1820. The workmanship and varnish have much the same . He was born in 1752 in Stamford and died in 1823 in London. The "Ward" acquired its name from J. photograph | 16 photographs : color | Photograph (Form). Gregg is holding the violin made by the class in 2010 and varnished in 2011. In June of 2011, Steve Rossow, Steve Sirr, and John Waddle went to Oberlin, Ohio, to participate in the Oberlin violin makers workshop. Ward of London. Violins and cellos for sale in London from Bridgewood & Neitzert Ltd: The UK's leading violin dealers, restorers & makers. It bears its original label. 43883.00. He died in 1823, leaving the business to his younger brother Arthur, who learned the craft from him. The Betts Project - Rossow Violins Once we have obtained quality CT scans of a violin, we can analyze its physical properties, density, mass, linear measurements, volumes, etc. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permission ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Choose whether this website uses functional cookies or cookies for tracking and performance, as described. London, Violin - Articles, - The woods used for the copy are selected for their density, grain structure, and visual similarity to the Betts violin. The tone is moderately powerful, and very sweet and mellow. Betts made fewer instruments in his later years, his reputation as an expert and connoisseur fully established. There was problem sending your activation email, please contact us. John Betts school: fine antique English violin circa 1820 - Corilon violins Using the same digital computer files generated by Steve Sirr, and used to make the parts for the violin made in Oberlin, Steve Rossow has carved Stradivari's archings into the new top, and back, and Stradivar's original shapes of the neck neck and scroll on his CNC machine. Please contact us for more information. In 1781 he established his own workshop. He used two or three different labels. Under Arthur especially the shop became known for its reproductions of historic instruments, similar to the activities of J.B. Vuillaume in Paris. Article. This violin from about 1790 is stamped on the back 'Betts / Royal . (1752 - 1823) Little is known about the early life of John Betts, son of Edward Betts, a farmer from Stamford. The words "Jo. Betts Workshop Violin, London circa 1820. The "Betts" is among the most legendary violins from Stradivari's workshop. This outstanding reputation may be why John Betts was always able to engage excellent violin makers such as Richard Tobin, Henry Lockey Hill and members of the famous Panormo family as his employees. John Edward Betts - Wikipedia He opened an attractive premises and amongst his luthiers were . By the time this fine antique violin was crafted in approximately 1820, John Betts was already able to look back on an impressive oeuvre. He moved to London at the age of 12 to apprentice with Richard Duke. In turn his workshop influenced the leading makers of the day to look towards increasingly detailed copying of Cremonese masterpieces, assisted to a great extent by his relationship with Vincenzo Panormo, an Italian maker working in London. Here is a picture of the 2011 Oberlin Workshop participants. The workmanship and varnish have much the same characteristics the latter being, as a rule, of a tint which is a shade warmer than the varnish of Duke. He . The violin was made in 1704, and retains what is believed to be its original untouched label. Brompton's reference library, in association with Claudio Amighetti, provides you with the price of a Violin by John Betts from Brompton's March 2012 auction results. London, England c. 1790-1810 Length of Back: 36.0 cm Upper Bout: 16.1 cm Middle Bout: 11.0 cm Lower Bout: 20.0 cm Certificates on file: Bein & Fushi 1984 William Lewis and Son 1957 In addition to his work as a maker, Betts imported the highest-caliber Read More Italian instruments to London, and was partly responsible for the ascent of Stradivari's reputation to equal Stainer's in public opinion of the period. This violin was, with the "Castelbarco" cello of 1697, once a part of the quartet of Stradivaris owned by Count Cesare Castelbarco of Milan. Next to him is Gregg Alf. the last line being written. The "Betts" is one of Stradivari's finest works--marking the beginning of what is described as his golden period. Betts was a talented maker himself and also employed some of the most talented English makers of the period, including Vincenzo Panormo, Joseph Hill II, Henry Lockey Hill, John Furber and both B.S. Arthur Betts and Charles Vernon continued the shop for a few years before Arthurs famous purchase of the 1704 Betts Stradivari for the princely sum of one guinea. Even Stradivari violins need adjusting from time to time. SKU 34098 Categories Violins, Violins $20,100-$35,000. Violin maker. It simply isn't true that old violins always sound better than new ones. Intl: +44 207 175 1737 Betts became known as an expert connoisseur and was partially responsible for developing the outstanding reputation of Stradivari instruments in London. Chris Germain is third from the left in the front row. The varnishing was be done by Jeff Phillips and Antoine Nedelec in Oberlin.