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mcarufe
Mar-12-2004, 1:52pm
I have a turn of the century oscar scmidt stella bowlback. It has 38 staves and is very playable. It has an ok finish for its years but I would not mind having it refinished to make it look better, question is will it hurt the value? Also I have seen a couple of post saying that stellas are not worth much to begin with but I have not seen one like this before. The bowl has some very intricate work and no cracks.
Mike

Michael Lewis
Mar-13-2004, 2:14am
It would be good to find out what sort of finish is on it before you apply another on top. I think just a light french polish would probably be appropriate. It can easily be removed if need be. You don't want much finish on an instrument like that, and yes, you would remove much of the instrument's value to any collector if you re finish it.

Bob DeVellis
Mar-13-2004, 2:07pm
Mike:

You might want to post a message in the classical section of the board. There are many folks who regularly read postings there who know a lot about bowlbacks and may have some thoughts. Also, if you can post a picture of the instrument in that section, they may be able to help you determine value. If I had to guess, I'd say that a Stella would not be especially valuable in a monetary sense, although capable of being a source of considerable enjoyment. Since it's not likely (if my guess is correct) to appeal all that much to a collector, French polishing to improve the appearance probably wouldn't significantly affect its resale value. If the improvement is worth to you the cost of having it done, it seems okay to do it. Personally, I like keeping vintage instruments cosmetically pretty much as they are, but it's your call and this isn't a case, I don't think, where you'll be altering a truly valuabe instrument. But, again, post a pic in the classical section to get a second opinion. Yours might be an unusual exception.

mcarufe
Mar-13-2004, 4:44pm
Thanks for the advice Bob. I will have to learn how to post pictures someday. What is French polish?
Mike

Bob DeVellis
Mar-14-2004, 10:15am
French polish is as much an application technique as a finish. As I understand it, it's a way of applying a varnish finish but listen to Michael or one of the others who've actually done it for the "real deal."

Tiderider
Mar-14-2004, 11:45am
Jacob, that is an excellent link. Thank You.

lee