Violin Books
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In the world of books, books about violins and especially books about antique violins make a very, very small niche market. With antique violin books being an old topic there is very little in the way of new books being written. The topic of violins and antique violin makers was covered very well a long time ago so that most of the books are old and many are out of print. If they are printed, there are special printings when demand raises the urgency for a run to be made. Because there is so little demand, there are very few printing and so there is also a chronic short supply. Therefore, you will see some very amazing prices for some of these books even for a new printing. If grandpa left you a violin, check for the bow and then check for violin books. They may be worth as much or more than the violin and will definitely be easier to market.
Many books are about the great luthiers and luthier families in the history of the violin. Some books are already suggested for for the luthiers in the brief articles in our Violin History section. There is another group of violin books that are very complete in their discussion of various aspects of the violin. You will see as the names include the word "Complete" or "Encyclopedia" in the name of the book. There is at least one that I describe to folks as the "Playboy Magazine" of violin books. Included in the book are several double fold out pages of some of the most prized violins on the planet. For the most passionate of violin lovers, I do not need to expand on the "Playboy" analogy.
Because the violin books market is so small, supplying it is difficult even for very large bookstores in the largest cities in the world. However, the power of the internet is with us and I have scoured through the online bookstores. There is only one that stands out...Amazon.com. In most of the other categories of violin goods that I address I try to show folks the options available and the plusses and minuses of each. I am open to enlightenment if you know different but I can see no one that can service this tiny niche market for you except the biggest book retailer on the planet.
I will start with links to the comprehensive books.
These next 3 books are collections of original sales advertisements for violins gather by the author and publish as a reference for luthiers. They are full of fascinating pictures and description and history. It is prime source publishing of the highest quality for violins. I will try to include some samples from my one copy of volume 2. Left to right below is volume 1, then volume 2 and volume 3 is on the right.
For links to books about violins I will include a search link for Amazon.com as the conclusion to this section so that you can use it to find more information on your favorite luthier or for other specific searches you may wish to indulge in to expand you knowledge of violins.
