Violin Appraisal and Certification
Appraisal and certificates of authenticity for Violins.
Knowledge relating to authenticity has progressed considerably over recent years, but unfortunately, so has misinformation, often spread by self-proclaimed ‘experts’ trading online, cutting-and-pasting from unreliable sources in an effort to give a semblance of expertise.
Basford Denyer and Toft have over 120 years of experience between them, in making, repairing, dealing and researching stringed instruments; their expertise is long standing and hard won. They have now come together to offer an appraisal and certification service, not only to players and collectors, but also to members of the trade and to auction houses.
Their personal experience of handling tens of thousands of instruments and bows over the past 40 years is supported by their collection of books on violin makers – one of the most comprehensive in Europe – as well as photographic and digital archives.
All assessments are made by examining instruments or bows in person; they do not offer online appraisals or certification as they do not believe it constitutes an appropriate practice.
There is no AI generated content on this website.
If you would like to contact Basford Denyer Toft for an appraisal, or for further information, please use the contact form below.
John Basford
Dr Basford gained a B.Mus (Hons) from King’s College, London in 1980 and then went on to be awarded a Ph.D from Sheffield University. He has lectured at Leicester University; the Georgian Society, York; the Civica Scuola di Liuteria, Milan; and Central St Martins, University of the Arts, London. He has recently been a Visiting Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University.
He is the author of over a dozen books in the general field of art/cultural history and was a founder member of the British Violin Making Association; contributing an article to its very first Newsletter.More recent article subjects include the early English violin maker, Robert Cuthbert; the French violin makers working for W.E. Hill & Sons, London in the early twentieth century; the misnaming of the Dolphin Stradivari; women makers of Mirecourt; London Violin Makers in the Law Courts 1750-1882; a groundbreaking new genealogy of the Hill family of violin makers and dealers; and the Tubbs family of bowmakers. His latest book, W.E. Hill & Sons: Violin Makers 1880-1936, written together with Tim Toft, has quickly established itself as the standard reference work on the subject.
He has worked as a dealer/maker/repairer since the mid 1980s.
Geoff Denyer
Geoff graduated from Newark School of Violin Making in 1984 and soon became very interested in antique violins. After leaving college he worked as a restorer in several leading European workshops, where he was able to examine excellent examples of instruments from all corners of the world. He gained much experience during this time and in 1997 decided to open his own violin shop in Winchester, Hampshire, where he took great pride in providing a professional and personal service to his customers and in offering a wide selection of instruments for sale.
After 25 years running his shop in Winchester, he relocated to Solihull in the West Midlands where he remains passionate about learning and identifying historic makers’ work.
He has been a committee member of the British Violin Makers Association for over 15 years, and four years ago was asked to take on the role of chairman. His prestigious membership of the EILA (International Association of Violin and Bow Makers) has proved immensely educational, providing him with the opportunity to liase with colleagues around the world.
Tim Toft
Tim Toft bought his first violin in 1977 while still at school. From school he went into electromechanical engineering, graduating in 1982, and then took up a position with the General Electric Company , working there until 1987. During this period, whenever he had spare time, he travelled, searching for violins to buy and sell.
He started working for his violin-dealing father in 1987 when he realised he could make more money from dealing than from being an engineer. In 1990 he became a sole trader and in 2003 formed Tim Toft Violins Ltd which now employs his sons, Matthew amd Oliver.
He has worked as a consultant to auction companies and other dealers and has given lectures on violins at conferences held by the British Violin Makers Association and the Violin Society of America.
In the 1990s he began forming a collection of W.E. Hill & Sons bows and instruments which has grown into arguably the finest collection of its kind in the world. He is co-author, with Dr John Basford, of, W.E. Hill & Sons: Violin Makers 1880-1936.
The Tubbs Family Part 1: Social background
The Tubbs Family Part 2: Genealogy
Get in touch
You can reach us via email at info@basforddenyertoft.com or by filling out the contact form below.