Luthiers, the official name for violin makers, created the first violins more than four centuries ago.
In the 1560s, a master craftsman Andrea Amati was asked by the French Queen to make a bunch of instruments for the Royal Ensemble. It’s thought that this scale of work established the primary form of the violin that we know today. Amati workshop was located in Cremona, northern Italy, and now it’s the home of the most famous violin makers.
Nicolo Amati was the grandson of Andrea Amati, and his first instruments closely followed the original concepts. But soon, he began to work on his own type of violin, known as the “Grand Amati Pattern”.
These instruments were wider by almost 1 centimeter and a little bit longer than a standard model. It was acknowledged that they have better tonality, and “Grand Amati Pattern” dimensions became the basis for Stradivari’s best violins.
Born in 1644, Antonio Stradivari was an apprentice of Nicolo Amati, and he took a lot from his mastery. Right from the start, he experimented a lot, and his first violins had less rounded corners, different purfling sets, and overall a more strong quality.
Antonio Stradivari is genuinely the best violin maker, and his instruments are considered the finest among all. His method of violin-making set a standard for modern violins, but do you know what made them so exceptional? It’s still unknown, but many believe it’s a unique varnish formula.
During his life, Stradivari made almost 1000 violins, and only about 650 of them survived. The most expensive violin is called “Messiah” and is worth as much as 20 million dollars.
Andrea Guarneri also began his apprenticeship at Amati’s shop when he was fourteen. Earliest Andrea Guarneri violins closely resembled the Amati style – more rounded and slender corners.
As the years went on, more characteristic features of Guarneri’s work distinguished themselves. His arching tends toward fullness, and the miters of his purfling often turn abruptly at the corners. The scroll was relatively small, without clearly defined chamfers, and he left the back plate quite thick in the center, thinning it towards the edges.
His most famous instrument is probably the Conte Vitale viola of 1676. It remains one of the most copied viola patterns today.
I think now is the best time to be a violin maker because of all the available historical and scientific research. It’s not easy to pick the best violin makers because there are so many great luthiers worldwide, each with its own distinct style and personality. But let’s try 🙂
Since 1935, the Vettori family has represented the longest family tradition of violin makers in Italy. They create some of the finest violins with the best powerful and projective sound. Paolo Vettori loves to use unusual wood choices but with excellent sound quality.
He currently works in his workshop on Via Della Dogana with his two sons, Dario Vettori II and Lapo Vettori, and his daughter, Sofia Vettori. He is definitely one of the best violin makers, and top musicians have played his incredible violin for years.
His instruments are in very high demand, and he is one of the world’s most sought-after violin makers. Toto has received many awards, including Violin Society of America and Cremona International competitions.
What distinguishes Francesco is that being a well-known violin maker isn’t enough for him. He also believes that one can’t be the best violin maker if one doesn’t know how to play the violin.
What? Non-Italian violin maker on the list? Yes, he worked in Toronto, Paris, and Cremona and is now recognized as one of the world’s greatest violinmakers.
He constantly explores new ideas and techniques and uses some unique approaches to making violins. For example, he is using such technologies as MRIs, Lasers, and other scanning devices to measure the acoustics of violins to aid in his designs.
These violin makers have made a name for themselves, and rightfully so, but there are many more outstanding ones that I haven’t listed here.
And who made your violin? Or maybe you know some famous luthier I didn’t include in this list? I would love to read your comments below!
