Notes:

"The 'Balfour Srradivari' is ironically one of the best examples of the Voller brothers' craftsmanship, and is even included without attribution in the standard Iconography of Stradivari published by Herbert Goodkind in 1972 - the only instrument, other than an acknowledged 'Messie' copy by Joseph Rocca, not made by Stradivari or his sons in the entire catalogue. It remains one of the few instruments the Vollers made that we know for certain was offered for sale as genuine Italian work, but it was neithet the first nor the last to receive the kudos of expert certification as such. . . .

The purfling is ebony, an obvious sign rhat the violin could not be a genuine Stradivari. Another error which they petpetrared on this and most of their instruments is the short scarfed joint in the purfling on, or just beside, the centre joint at both ends of the back. Cremonese instruments generally have a longer overlapping mitre placed well away from the centre line. The typical Cremonese-style pins are present however, at each end of the back, half covered by the puifling itself. The only slight stylistic weaknesses in the violin in general are the same as are found in othet Vollet work. The scroll, although a beautiful piece of carving, just misses the lightness and accuracy of a Sttadivari head of this period, and the edges are perhaps a little too evenly rounded off with sandpaper The soundholes, too, are relatively weak, with very small nicks and slightly jagged knife-cut circles where Strad would have used a cylindrical cutter. . . .

At some point, Andrew Hill alleges in his account of the violin's history, it acquired a set of genuine Stradivari ribs. Hill makes the assumption that the original Voller set is now part of another Stradivari, although this cannot be confirmed."

The Voller Brothers, John Dilworth, Andrew Fairfax & John Milnes, The Voller Brothers, Oxford

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"When John Dilworth gave his talk in Stuttgart he had the Balfour Strad with him. It is in pieces now, the back, belly, and scroll. The Hills bought it back some years ago in order to take it out of circulation. Andrew Hill came to the conclusion that the ribs were actually by Stradivari. So as it exists now, this so-called Balfour Strad has no ribs. If you saw this instrument I don't think you could tell it from the original; I can't. The work is superb. The ground and varnish are so beautiful. It would take a very clever person to tell the difference."

British Makers of the Past & Present, Wilfred G. Saunders, Journal of the Violin Society of America, Vol. XI, No. 3, Flushing, NY

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"There was without doubt a distinct " damper " placed on the instrument, no one, from expert to novice, could throw aside a suspicion caused naturally enough by the printed notice. The instrument, therefore, did not receive the attention that it would otherwise have had. Notwithstanding this, the bidding reached the goodly sum of £600, the fortunate purchasers being Messrs. Balfour, who seemed to have coolly ignored the cold water thrown over the affair by the notice."

A Violin by Stradivari, Horace Petherick, The Strad, July, 1901, London

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"Owing to the opinions of several leading experts, violin and otherwise, who have been able to carefully examine this instrument, both interiorly and exteriorly, Messrs. BALFOUR & CO. have withdrawn their offer of £1,000 for this unique violin, and their price for the same will be £2,000, as soon as a suitable bar and fittings are completed to give the finest tonal results."

Balfour advertisement, The Strad, July, 1901, London