Vic $100k instruments theft hits bad note

An uninsured, century-old violin is among musical instruments worth $100,000 that were stolen under the cloak of darkness in suburban Melbourne.

Thieves broke into a home at Warrigal Road in Hughesdale on Tuesday between 2.30am and 7.30am, getting away with instruments including an A E Smith 1908 antique violin.

A man wearing a hat was spotted leaving the area in a silver SUV, police said on Wednesday.

Music teacher Jenny Occleshaw says the 1908 violin - her main instrument, which she plays daily - is worth about $70,000 in Australia.

But she couldn't afford to include it in her house and contents insurance.

"I couldn't afford the premiums for that violin, because I was only working part-time and it was just horrendous," she told 3AW on Thursday.

The thieves only left behind instruments available for new students with "no intrinsic value", she added.

"Obviously when the thieves came they knew exactly what they were looking for and they only took things of value."

Ms Occleshaw doesn't have suspicions about who might have taken the items but believe they will be "incredibly hard to pass on" locally.

"I've notified every violin shop in Melbourne and some of the Sydney ones and it's on the stolen instrument register and it will be recognised everywhere, so it won't be able to be sold."

As the violin is Australian it doesn't hold the same value overseas, she said.

STOLEN ITEMS:

*A E Smith 1908 antique violin

*Roderich Paesold gold-mounted violin bow

*J S Tubbs silver-mounted antique bow

*2002 KG instruments 15 inch hand made viola

*2002 KG instruments (full size) hand made cello

*Two German Trade three-quarter size violin

*Black Chinese bow case, containing six violin bows

*Carbon fibre cello bow

*Mother of pearl mounted wooden cello bow

(Source: Victoria Police)