The most common misnomer of a musical type we encounter on the Roadshow tours must be the inclination of the greater public to have at the top of their wish list, absolute belief in the fact that the label inside their violin means that this man on the right back in the 1700's!

 Here we have an Italian craftsman who is arguably the greatest luthier and violin maker of all time and his name was Antonio Stradivari.

Standard Stradivarius printed label which appears in all copies.

 ^ The Hammer Stradivarius violin, (above) measures 36cm and bears the label inside:. Dating from 1707, It was made during Stradivari's 'golden' period.

The Hammer was so called as it was once owned by a Swedish collector Christian Hammer who is the first recorded owner. Latterly it found its way the United States and into the ownership of a music teacher, Bernard Sinsheimer but in 1992, it was acquired by a Japanese oil company.

 It is common knowledge that the leading auctioneers Christies hold the world record price realised for any musical instrument when they sold this violin in London called the Hammer, built by Stradivari in 1707 for a whopping  $3,544,000 back in 2006.

With that sort of figure on your mind, the majority of people we see are convinced that their priceless instrument is one of the lost Stradivarius instruments and unseen for centuries.

But what we actually see is one of these and this puppy is a different breed altogether!

Stradivarius factory made Czechoslovakian copy:

Now that little label ' Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis / Faciebat Anno 1707' has a lot to answer for as it is about the biggest confuser of common logic and builder of high hopes and dreams that there is.

Maybe the best way to help you understand the truth is by simple analogy.

See below:

The heart stopper.

A modern Stradivarius label inside a violin made in Germany

 Tens of thousands of violins were made throughout the 19th century in factories and workshops throughout Europe, all bearing the label of Stradivari. These were not made as fakes or designed to deceive, they were just recognition of type.

And it is to the McKinley Trade Act that we turn to thank its originators for their demands that each country of origin of any product to be exported to the USA or the trade act signer member states must carry the name and country of origin.

This gives us very clear and accurate dating information.

See the McKinley Trade Act Page:

The Stradivari House and roof top workshop in Cremona.

Now demolished and a park.

Portrait, 1681- Campi pinx. Cremona.

Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument, in a Romantic 19th-century print

This one, just like a real

Stradivarius, is worth millions.                                                                                                                                                                                   This one isn't.

The impersonator plies his trade and is successful at it because Presley was the King of rock and roll. Of Presley impersonators, there have been, will be and are, thousands of look alike's. Just like Stradivarius violin reproductions.     And the only time you know how good either are is when they sing! 

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da VInci is the most famous painting in the world.

Value ? Priceless.

Because it is unique and his original.

 It is the Stradivarius design that is referred to on all labels which appear on the  inside of violins made in the fashion of Stradivarius. It is a credit to the original designer and not proof positive that the violin was made in Cremona, Italy by the great man in the 1700's. So there is your myth.

 The Stradivarius violin design itself, masterminded and perfected by Antonio Stradivari was believed to be so perfect that he incorporated advanced geometry and mathematics into his violin building and prepared unique woods with secret chemical techniques including minerals such as potassium silicate, sodium, potassium borate and Bianca.

It is to this creative technology we look and in which it is believed to be the secret behind the distinctive mellow tones. Many experts believe that Stradivari used such secret methods which both enhanced the quality of the wood he used and thus the sound it created and itt is this special feature al.ong with the fact that no two violins sound exactly alike which makes his violins so unique.

From  his success as a violin maker, his instruments became world famous with only the best musicians, the most noted personalities and wealthiest of collectors in ownership of the prized instruments.

 For over 300 years now, luthiers, small violin makers and factories have used its design, proportion, scale and likeness to produce instruments for a broad market place the world over. Some with success, others with little or none at all.

 Of type, brilliant Stradivarius variants have been made by innumerable luthiers throughout history and in a number of countries including Italy, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, France, England and Bohemia. But so too, the have factories turned out violins for the general public, made inexpensively in Europe and available for music shops and department stores across the world from beginners sizes to three quarter and concert instruments.

The difficulty is in assessing whether you have a simple factory made violin or something more special.

 For certain, as Stradivari only ever made a small number of instruments and only 650 are known to survive to date, the chances are around  minus zero that you will have one of those you dream about. But if your violin doesn't have "made in Germany", "made in Czechoslovakia" or "made in France" printed or stamped on it , usually on the Stradivarius label inside and beneath the f shaped sound hole, or has the word copi or copy or the name of a country in the language of that country, you may have a small shop made violin of age worth some research.

It is true to say that giiven the vast number of violin makers who came after Stradivari, you may just be lucky and have quite a special violin after all.

David Freeman © 2008

The Freemanart Consultancy

Click here for a list of internationally famous Violin makers.