It is a curious fact that many of the very best sounding and most sophisticated violins were made well over a hundred years ago. Violinists have long known that the Italian violin makers of the 18th Century had a skill and craftsmanship that has yet to be equaled. It should come as no surprise then that many collectors and violinists alike are on the hunt for quality old violins.A person who crafts violins is called a luthier, and there are a number of well-known luthier families whose old violins still bring top dollar. The Amati family is a great example of an Italian family of luthiers. The Amatis were making violins in and around Cremona Italy from around 1550 all the way up to the mid 1700s. Nicolo Amati is the family's most famous member, and violins crafted by him are some of the most valuable instruments in their line.
Nicolo has another claim to fame in that he was the mentor of perhaps the most famous violin maker ever: Antonio Stradivari. Stradivari was born in Cremona on 1644, and soon after setting up his own violin crafting business, his fame became widespread. He produced a number of innovations on the Amati design including changing the scroll and improving the arching.
One can spend an entire fortune on an old violin made by one of these masters, and in some cases prices have reached over two million dollars. It is still possible to find a high quality old German violin, or even a high quality old French violin that won't require a small business loan. There are some great private violin restoration shops that sell old violins from various well known luthiers, and some better stocked musical instrument stores also carry a few older violins as well.
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