Stradivarius Violins: Often Imitated, Never Duplicated

Every child who aspires to be a violinist knows the name of Antonio Stradivari and also understands that violins that bear his name, in the Latin form Stradivarius, are among the finest musical instruments ever constructed. Stradivarius violins are famous for both the amazing prices they can command and for the purity and beauty of the music they produce.

For many centuries, the top of the line stringed instrument was the Italian violin, and most of the premier violin designers in the history of the world were Italian designers. All violinists today are familiar with names such as Amati and Guarneri, but by far the most well known and respected name in the history of violin creation is Stradivarius. He was a student of the master Amati, but his skills soon surpassed his esteemed mentor.

Stradivarius violins are accompanied by other Stradivari instruments in some professional combos and orchestras for he also made violas, cellos, guitars, and harps. It is estimated that about 70% of the instruments he built still survive and almost all are playable and in regular use. Considering that Stradivari died in 1737, survival of that many instruments is just more verification of the quality.

Two main things distinguished the Stradivarius violins and other instruments from those of other luthiers. (A luthier is a maker of any stringed instrument, and the word comes from the root for "lute.") One was construction, with the style of the arching in the curves of the body and case being an innovation. Stradivari also changed the thick and thin parts of the body to a precise measurement he evolved for the best sound, and his instruments are remarkably similar in sound to each other as a result.

It is a widely held belief that Stradivari's well-guarded varnish formula was not just a protective coating of the instrument, but actually the most important secret to his violins. He was successful in keeping the formula a secret, and as such, others have tried to recreate it for generations. One reason that the Stradivarius still has not been replicated is that almost all types of useful analysis would involve damage to a priceless instrument. No collector would allow such destruction of their valued "Strad".

Some famous violinists favor other instrument makers, but few would turn down a chance to play one the existing Stradivarius violins. Some masters own several, but this is becoming more unlikely with instruments bringing more than $3.5 million at auctions recently. Such instruments have been very carefully authenticated since there are so many fakes and imitations.

All real "Strads" have a label that states in Latin, "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno" ("made in Cremona by Antonio Stradivari") with a date at the end of the inscription. Unfortunately, so do almost all fake ones! Most beginners have an inexpensive instrument with that exciting inscription and then a tiny "copy of" or "replica" somewhere on the label as a reality check. Some countries even extensively regulate what must go on the labels of replicas.