Appraisal
It was a policy of the Roth workshop in the days of Ernst Heinrich I to manufacture different grades of instruments for different budgets. For this reason, but also due to the size of the workshop's production and the many decades of its operation, the quality of Roth violins varies greatly, ranging from poor to outstanding. Therefore, expertise in the field is essential in order to identify the highest grade Roth instruments.
The best ones can be stunningly beautiful and well-crafted instruments, with the 1920s and until about 1933 generally regarded as the most sought-after period. As mentioned above, it is generally understood these days that the top instruments were made predominantly by Ernst Heinrich Roth himself (especially those hand-signed by Roth). They were usually copies after Cremonese models of the early 18th century, among which the Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù ones are considered to be the most accomplished (although there exist some beautiful copies of Amati and Ruggieri). These top instruments stand out by the exceptional quality of their wood (with very fine-grained Italian spruce on top and a highly flamed maple back, their glowing oil varnish (frequently an attractive red-brown on a warm, golden ground) and their beautifully finished f-holes. These attributes, together with a powerful, rich and mellow yet focused tone with bright, carrying overtones, have secured top Roth instruments a reputation as excellent orchestral and solo instruments. They are also increasingly sought after for their investment value (current auction record: US $17,250 for a Roth cello / Tarisio New York, November 2005).
While some instruments from later periods and from other members of the family have been known to be of above-average quality, none reached anywhere near the level attained by the best instruments of the afore-mentioned period.
Read more about this topic: Ernst Heinrich Roth
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