Fritz Reuter-Chicago Violin, Viola, Cello Makers and Dealers

Fritz Reuter & Son's is Down-sizing (Detailed Letter)
To all our valuable customers and dear friends, Greetings!

Our Lincolnwood store on Touhy is now closed but we are still here to help you!
All business is by appointment only.

Rentals of Violins, Violas & Cellos:
Please contact Martin Biller:
Shop: 847-249-8440 Cell: 847-772-8440
Website: http://www.martinbillerviolins.com Email: martin@martinbillerviolins.com

Repairs of Privately Owned Instruments:
Please contact: Michael Reuter 847-677-7255

Verbal or Written Appraisals and Certificates:
Please call Fritz Reuter at: 847-677-7255
Verbal and Written Appraisals for insurance purposes will be by appointment only.

(Click here to read our down-sizing letter)

Modern scientists study the ancient mysteries regarding old violins
April 1984	April 2000	January 2012
1). Finally found, the secret of Stradivarius Fritz Reuter 1984 Focus Report (German translation available)	2). Science and the Stradivarius Colin Gough - Physics Web	3). Violinist can't tell the difference between Stradivarius violins and new ones Discover Magazine - January 2012

Need help to translate? Use Google Language Tools.

RIN:635

Total Appraisers
Book Collection for Sale.

Reuter's Shop
Services in our Shop
Rental Instruments
History of Reuter & Sons
New Instrument Pricing
Appraisal Services
The Art of Günther Reuter
Our German Website
Send us E-mail

Educational Topics
Read How to Buy a Violin®
String Instrument for the Soloist
Steps of Making a Violin
Violin Articles "In the News"
Links around the Web
Articles from around the Internet
Violin Makers & Dealers

New Instrument Information
String Instrument for the Soloist
How to Buy a Violin®
Teachers earn commissions?
New Instrument Pricing
Do you need 2nd opinion?

Instrument News Articles
$21 Million purchase by NJSO
CSO Viola, Lost and Found
Money Power and Corruption in the String Instrument Business.

Reuter Articles/Commentary
Reuters Focus Report
Reuters Commentary on
the News

Question:
How many violin appraisers does it take to appraise an instrument 'till it becomes a STRAD???

Published articles and research regarding the string instrument trade

Read our letter to the Attorney General
regarding the
Chicago Violin MAFFIA

Newly Added.. Anonymous Letters regarding dealing with the QUESTIONABLE trade practices of International Violin Dealers.

Follow the trail of victims overseas as Der Standard documents the many banks that loaned money to Dietmar Machold for what in reality appears to be non-existent deals of Stradivari instruments.
[Der Standard Articles]

International Scandal of Systemic Violin Racketeering.
In the opinion of Mr. Graham Wells (founder of Sotheby’s auction’s musical instrument department), on the International Violin Business: "The violin trade has always been corrupt.
Compared with the rest of the art and collectors' market, and even with other instruments, only violins, because of their rarity, history and immense value, attract this level of corruption, with auction houses and the trade - and, of course, musicians who cannot afford these instruments - all suffering as a result." (The Guardian).
About 90% of string teachers, directors of orchestras and music administrators in schools and universities are employed on a 'commission' basis (i.e. kick-backs).

SEE RIN:626 Dietmar Machold Document Listing Archive

12/21/2010 Court orders Machold Violins to close business and declares them BANKRUPT!
Court orders liquidation of assets.
Original Court decree: (here) Google (Eng)Translation (here).
Where are the instruments...? The Great Austrian Violin Heist...?

Machold Rare Violins Declares Financial Restructuring!
As published by the Austrian court online,
Machold Violins had declared financial restructuring.
Translate to English with Google (Translate)

Added this month:
Strad vs. Guarneri - How complicated are the dynamics of a professional violin? A legendary head-to-head battle between dueling rare old Italians helps to illustrate this point. Written by Philip Kass.
WFMT Radio "Commercial Bribery; A Trade Secret"
Avoid costly mistakes and marketing schemes, read How to Buy a violin
Retired FBI agent Robert K.Wittman writes about tracking down high-priced artwork stolen from the Stuart Gardner Museum in 1990. His book “Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures’’ tells his experiences while working in the FBI agency’s Art Crime Team. Stolen rare violins are now considered mainstream theft material in the world of Art Crime.

Illinois States Attorney Lisa Madigan filing regarding String Teacher Bribes with Northwestern University: STATE-FILING-2010.pdf

Letter to Northwestern regarding NO POLICY on teach bribes and kickbacks.

What do "Ponzi Schemes", "Tulip Mania" and falling stock market prices have to do with the violin business? Read "The Great Violin Hoax -- or, “Birds of a Feather Racketeer Together” and discover the "rain makers" of the Stradivarius market.

The Great Austrian Violin Heist...? and Who Is Nikolaj Nantscheff?
(RIN:154, 155 A puzzle of legal title--a $21.3 Million question )

As Chicagoland’s oldest establishment of professional Violin Makers and Dealers, we are guided by the laws and by-laws of the AFVBM or American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers’ Code of Ethics. The heart of the code resides in a single sentence: "True ethical responsibility requires absolute commitment to honorable behavior and practices, even at the sacrifice of personal advantage."
*Strings* magazine Editor Mary VanClay, broke radical new ground in her article of November, 1996, entitled: "Mysteries of the Market" - Buyers and Sellers Sound off about the Stringed Instrument Trade." Also see "Elegy for Ethics" by Susan Barbieri regarding teacher kickbacks. Her report attests to the seamy and dishonorable side of the violin business. SEE ALSO Reuter's Focus Report which informs the unwary about many aspects of the violin business. See what other have to say: Discussion Forum at Strings Magazine.	*Check out this page...* that shows the process of making of a string instrument. .
Explore our Educational Topics! At Fritz Reuter & Sons, our uniqueness stems partially from the fact that we have informed and educated the selling and buying public for over the last 40 years, helping them to separate fact from fiction.
As a business, we are unique. That is, we never have, nor will we ever, engage in the corrupting practice of paying "under the table" kick-backs, commercial bribes, or so-called "commissions" to third parties. These parties – most often the teachers, tutors, or administrators who refer their students to a particular dealer – violate a sacred trust. To be more technical, they breach their fiduciary standing. The practice of kick-backs, etc. turns into special, hidden mark-ups on instruments and bows. To read more about how kickbacks to teachers affect your instrument purchase, read our article on The Chicago Violin MAFFIA "RIN:131", and our attempts to make law officials aware of the hidden charges that are added to instrument purchases.
To give the buyer confidence and assurance for purchasing something of true value, we at Fritz Reuter & Sons have, for the past 40 years, issued a unique document to those who purchase their instrument and bows from us.
We are also unique as professional Violin Makers and Restorers. This uniqueness stems from the fact that NEVER, during our more than thirty years of providing high quality repair and restoration services . . . NEVER have we engaged in the common malpractice known as re-graduation. In the simplest terms, "re-graduation" involves scraping out the guts of an instrument. The "repairman" actually does irreversible damage to the instrument, weakening its very structure.
MONEY, POWER AND CORRUPTION... Listen to a radio interview (WNYC New York) which talks about the power, corruption and conflicts of interest in the string instrument world [John Schaefer, Fritz Reuter and Drew McManus of ArtsJournal.com.

Reuter's Commentary
on the News!

Please Search Our Web Site Using your own Keywords!

Web www.fritz-reuter.com.com

You are the visitor since January 20th, 1997.

I. RIN #, Title, Size, Keywords	Reuter Homepage	Reuter Focus Report	Books, Articles	Violin Topics	Other Languages	News
INDEX Fritz Reuter & Sons Homepage (48K)	HOM
RIN:001	HOM
RIN:002 Mysteries of the Market (47K)			MAG	VLN		News
RIN:003 Do you need a second opinion (3K)	HOM	RFR		VLN
RIN:004 Facts of the Business (9K)	HOM	RFR		VLN
RIN:005 Most violin have fake labels (5K)		RFR		VLN
RIN:006 Cheap Strads- Why are Strads so cheap? (8K)		RFR		VLN
RIN:007 What is the real cash buy-back value? (7K)		RFR		VLN
RIN:008 Insurance Brokerage letter of appreciation (5K)		RFR
RIN:009 Violin dealer leaves trail of angry victims (13K)		RFR				News
RIN:010 The New and Improved Cello test (15K)			MAG	VLN
RIN:011 Restoration Workshop at Oberlin (11K)			MAG	VLN
RIN:012 Education and Information (10K)	HOM
RIN:013 Topical Index of Reuter's Website	HOM
RIN:014 Fritz Reuter -address (4K)	HOM
RIN:015 Appraisal and shipping instructions (8K)	HOM
RIN:016 Becker: Chicago's Mortician? DECEPTION by MALPRACTICE		RFR
RIN:017 Fritz Reuter: Certifications (3K)	HOM
RIN:018 Fritz Reuter: Financing (2K)	HOM
RIN:019 The Embalmer as Restorer (15K) DECEPTION through PSEUDO SCIENCE and MALPRACTICE		RFR
RIN:020 Fritz Reuter: History (8K)	HOM
RIN:021	HOM
RIN:022 Fritz Reuter: International phone (4K)	HOM
RIN:023 Kenneth Warren: Pretense and Pretension (22K) DECEPTION by PRETENSION		RFR
RIN:024 Has the violin business become a criminal racket and snare? (21K) DECEPTION, BRIBERY, FORGERY, IGNORANCE, FRAUD		RFR
RIN:025 Frank Miller: A commemoration (8K) GENTLEMAN and MAESTRO		RFR
RIN:026 Finally found, the secret of Stradivarius (19K) DECEPTION through "SCIENCE"		RFR
RIN:027 Sound through Bribery: Part I (45K) VANDALISM, BRIBERY, DECEPTION, FRAUD		RFR
RIN:028 Sound through Bribery: Part II (15K) BRIBERY, DECEPTION, FRAUD		RFR
RIN:029 Address to a closed society (A.S.T.A.) (45K) ACCESSORY TO DECEPTION, IGNORANCE		RFR
RIN:030 The Art of Günther Reuter (34K) THE MASTER MAKER		RFR
RIN:031 String Instrument for the Soloist (49K)			Book
RIN:032 String Instrument for the Soloist (45K)			Book		GER
RIN:033 Code of Ethics, Unabridged AFVBM (4K)		UWS
RIN:034 Code of Ethics, Introduction AFVBM (5K)		UWS
RIN:035 Principles of Professional conduct AFVBM (14K)		UWS
RIN:036 The Violin's Missing Link (22K) DECEPTION through PSEUDO SCIENCE		RFR
RIN:037 The Violin Hoax: Its Psychological Dimension (66K) VANDALISM, BRIBERY, DECEPTION, FRAUD		RFR
RIN:038 Malpractice: Consumer Advisory (37K) DECEPTION by MALPRACTICE		RFR
RIN:039 Music Center of the North Shore: Advisory (30K) Re: KICKBACKS, DECEPTION, SWINDLE, SCAM		RFR
RIN:040 Report Summaries (41K)		RFR
RIN:041 The E.N.D. Process (30K) DECEPTION by MALPRACTICE		RFR
RIN:042 Kriminelle Verschworung und Schlinge Geworden? (26K)		RFR			GER
RIN:043 Eine Psychoanalytische Goldmine (27K)		RFR			GER
RIN:044 Endlich Entdeckt: Das "Geheimnis" (19K)		RFR			GER
RIN:045 Das Chicagoer Abkurzingsverfahren Teil 1 (53K)		RFR			GER
RIN:046 German Focus Report Titles (41K)	HOM				GER
RIN:047 New Instrument Pricing (6K)	HOM
RIN:048 Violin Mythology: A Psychoanalytical Goldmine (6K) DECEPTION through MYTHOLOGY		RFR
RIN:049 Fritz Reuter: Repairs (5K)	HOM

I. RIN #, Title, Size, Keywords	Reuter Homepage	Reuter Focus Report	Books, Articles	Violin Topics	Languages	News
RIN:050 Fritz Reuter: SaleS (6k)	HOM
RIN:051 Fritz Reuter: Sell-Buy-RenT (5k)	HOM
RIN:052 Fritz Reuter: Shop Services (8K)	HOM
RIN:053 Fritz Reuter: Supplies (4K)	HOM
RIN:054 Die Geige (17K)			Book		GER
RIN:055 Links to assorted Websites (12K)	HOM
RIN:056 Louis Spohr (4K)					GER
RIN:057 Das Chicagoer Abkurzingsverfahren Teil 2 (14K)		RFR			GER
RIN:058 German: Educational Topics (8k)	HOM				GER
RIN:059 "Provision oder Bestechung, Welches?"		RFR
RIN:060 A Maker and His Tools-Gunther Reuter (1k)	HOM
RIN:061 Master Violin Maker-Gunther Reuter (3k)	HOM
RIN:062 Gunther Reuter - A Portrait (9k) THE MASTER MAKER	HOM
RIN:063 Email and Response Form (6k)	HOM
RIN:064 Reuter Glossary of Terms (12k)	HOM
RIN:065 Violin and Bow Makers and Dealers (26k)	HOM
RIN:066 Die Internationale Geigen-Mafia (36k)		RFR			GER
RIN:067 Letter to Hans Weishaar (4k)		RFR
RIN:068 Response from Hans Weishaar (8k)		RFR
RIN:069 Response letter to Strings Magazine (12k)		RFR
RIN:070 Thought for the Day-100 YEARS-Fantozi (4k)		RFR		VLN
RIN:071 Apology letter form Charles Beare regarding mistaken identity of Cremonese fiddle.		RFR		VLN
RIN:072 FBI List of Victims						News
RIN:073 History of Bearden Articles						News
RIN:074 Making a violin, INTRO (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:075 Making a violin, Step 1 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:076 Making a violin, Step 2 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:077 Making a violin, Step 3 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:078 Making a violin, Step 4 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:079 Making a violin, Step 5 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:080 Making a violin, Step 6 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:081 Making a violin, Step 7 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:082 Making a violin, Step 8 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:083 Making a violin, Step 9 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:084 Making a violin, Step 10 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:085 Making a violin, Step 11 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:086 Making a violin, Step 12 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:087 Making a violin, Step 13 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:088 Making a violin, Step 14 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:089 Making a violin, Step 15 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:090 German Web Site Index Page (46k)	HOM			VLN	GER
RIN:091 Making a violin, Step 16 (1k)	HOM			VLN
RIN:092 German: Educational Topics (9k)	HOM				GER
RIN:093 Epilogue: Additional observations (10k) DECEPTION through PSEUDO SCIENCE		RFR
RIN:094 Tabulation of Gunther Cellos (7k) THE MASTER MAKER	HOM
RIN:095 Titel-goldene Garantie (7k)	HOM
RIN:096 The Faculty Adviser: A Prostituting Educator? (12k) BRIBERY, DECEPTION, FRAUD		RFR
RIN:097 Jascha Heifetz's Wisdom - An Informational Insight (5k) GENTLEMAN and MAESTRO		RFR		VLN
RIN:098 A NEW VIOLIN by Gunther (2k)	HOM
RIN:099 Der Internationale Geigenschwindel-Intro		RFR			GER
RIN:100 Early Violins: Problems and Issues (15k)			MAG	VLN

I. RIN #, Title, Size, Keywords	Reuter Homepage	Reuter Focus Report	Books, Articles	Violin Topics	Languages	News
RIN:101 Fancy Violin designs.	HOM			VLN
RIN:102 Articles from around the Web.	HOM			VLN
RIN:103 Geigenbaur der Firma Reuter & Sons	HOM
RIN:104 Günter Reuter-Geigenbaumeister	HOM
RIN:105 XXXXXXXX		RFR
RIN:106 Bearden Part II, Pleads Guilty			ART
RIN:107 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Dec 12 1997			ART
RIN:108 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Aug 30 1997			ART
RIN:109 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Sep 3 1997			ART
RIN:110 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Sep 19 1997			ART
RIN:111 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Dec 12 1997			ART
RIN:112 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Jun 22 1997			ART
RIN:113 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Mar 3 1997			ART
RIN:114 Bow Weights and Conversion Chart				VLN
RIN:115 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Jun 14 1997			ART
RIN:116 S.T.L. Post Dispatch, Bearden, Feb 27 1998			ART
RIN:117 Swindling Bow maker Sentenced			ART
RIN:118 Introduction to UnOfficial VDG		RFR			GER
RIN:119 Familien-Tradition Geigen Schwindel		RFR
RIN:120 Indexpage: VDG Un-Official Website		RFR			GER
RIN:121 Sakraler Tone - Spiegel				VLN	GER
RIN:122 Provision oder Bestechung, welches?		RFR			GER
RIN:123 Buying Violin Tone: Martin Hackl				VLN
RIN:124 CSO's Rare viola found				VLN		News
RIN:125 Notice of a common scam in the String Teachers Industry, Martin Hackl				VLN
RIN:126 FOX NEWS: CSO recovers viola						News
RIN:127 Chicago Tribune: Viola recovered						News
RIN:128 AFVBM Founding Member List		RFR
RIN:129 Chicago Tribune: 6-23-98						News
RIN:130 Famous Fake Found: Montagnana Viola		RFR
RIN:131Chicago's VIOLIN MAFFIA COMMERCIAL BRIBERY, DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD		RFR
RIN:132 $10,000 Reward		RFR				News
RIN:133 Mr. Heiss Meets the Instrument of His Undoing.		RFR
RIN:134 Reuter's Commentary on the News! DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD	HOM	RFR
RIN:135 Letter to the Editor of Strings Magazine DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD	HOM	RFR
RIN:136 Addendum Letter to Elegy for Ethics DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD	HOM	RFR
RIN:137 Vorin Appraisal Swindle DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD		RFR
RIN:138 U	HOM
RIN:139 Letter to Avsharian, String Industry Council DECEPTION, CONSUMER FRAUD		RFR
RIN:140 Email a Link to www.fritz-reuter.com	HOM

I. RIN #, Title, Size, Keywords	Reuter Homepage	Reuter Focus Report	Books, Articles	Violin Topics	Languages	News
RIN:141 Saved the Nation, the Violin that plucked Stradivari out of obscurity.
RIN:142 Timothy Douglas White and Wilson Peter Cotton Segleman Estate vs. Kenneth Warren (Dealer) & others.
RIN:143 OPEN
RIN:144 Timothy Douglas White and Wilson Peter Cotton Decision on Court case, Segelman vs. Warren
RIN:145 Article regarding old violin origins. By LOUISE NUNN			ART	VLN
RIN:146 OPEN
RIN:147 u
RIN:148 u
RIN:149 OPEN
RIN:150 The Violin Hoax - or Birds of a Feather Racketeer Together - Variations on a Ponzi Scheme.			RFR	VLN
RIN:151 Reply to the Editor: The Strad, Bought and Sold			RFR	VLN
RIN:152 Article text to Bought and Sold
RIN:153 Geigenbauer und Händlers Suche					GER
RIN:154 The Great Austrian Violin Heist (English)			RFR	VLN	ENG
RIN:155 The Nantscheff Collection			RFR	VLN	ENG
RIN:156
RIN:157 OPEN
RIN:158
RIN:160 Curse of the Stradivari				VLN
RIN:161
RIN:162
RIN:163
RIN:164
RIN:165
RIN:166

I. RIN #, Title, Size, Keywords	Reuter Homepage	Reuter Focus Report	Books, Articles	Violin Topics	Languages	News
RIN:249 New Jersey Symphony to sell instruments purchased from Axelrod						News
RIN:250 Articles which have been published about the String Instrument business.				VLN
RIN:251 Recently in the News						News
RIN:252 Is The New Jersey Symphony Missing The Point?						News
RIN:253 Violin Turf Wars by Drew McManus				VLN		News
RIN:254 04-13-04 -- Axelrod, Herbert -- Indictment -- News Release						News
RIN:255 Axelrod 08-08-2004						News
RIN:256 Axelrod 08-29-2004						News
RIN:257 Axelrod 05-10-05						News
RIN:258 Axelrod Index of Articles around the the web						News
RIN:259 Axelrod Indictment						News
RIN:260 CNN -Axelrod						News
RIN:261 Governor gets behind NJSO						News
RIN:262 Axelrod						News
RIN:263 -Axelrod article1						News
RIN:264 -Axelrod article2						News
RIN:265 -Axelrod article3						News
RIN:266 A LIFE OF Money and myths						News
RIN:267 A Violin -Axelrod article4						News
RIN:268 -Axelrod article5						News
RIN:269 Arts Patron of Rare Violins Vanishes for His Arraignment						News
RIN:270 Axelrod article						News