Popular Violin Makers

Getting to Know the Violin

Violin is a stringed type of musical instrument that composed of 4 strings that are tuned in 5^th apart. It is considered as the smallest and the highest-tuned string instrument in the family of violin which includes the cello, the double bass and the viola. The one who makes the violin is called as the luthier or the violin makers and the one who play the violin is called the violinist or sometimes called the fiddler.

Typically, the parts of the violin are the scroll, the pegbox, the neck: from chin to the root, the fingerboard, the strings, the upper bout together with the f-holes and lower bout are considered as the waist or the C-bouts. There is also the bridge, the fine tuners, the tailpiece and the chinrest located at the bottom part. The bridge of the violin is important for the reason that the sound which is being produced of the violin relates to its position. It is held in its place by the help of the string’s tension. The bridges vibrates when the string are also vibrating. The chin rest is one part of violin that is being supported by the chin of the fiddler or the violinist whey he or she is playing. This makes the violin place in a proper and confortable position. By the use of the chin rest, the violinist can hold the violin even without using his hand. The strings are the one being scraped in order to vibrate which then generated a lovely sound. There are 4 strings in the violin that are being tuned a 5^th apart. The string of the violin are made of sheep gut or commonly called as the catgut that are being stretched and dried. In 20^th century, they also use steel or aluminum and silk as the strings of the violin, but in modern times, strings that are being used are the wound with several metals that are plated with silver, they also use stranded steels, solid steels or different synthetic materials. The fingerboard is a strip of wood in which the strings of the violin are located. When the violinist plays and change the pitch, the strings which are pressed down are supported by the fingerboard. The F holes are the parts of the violin that is located in the center. It looks like italic of letter F that’s the reason why it is called as the F holes. These holes allow the sound of the violin to come out that alters the length and affects the sound that is being produced. The nut is one essential part of the violin since it supports the strings of the instrument from the fingerboard and gives a good height of the strings as well. The pegs are the one that is being manipulated in order to adjust the tune of the violin. Since there are 4 strings, there are also 4 pegs that are being inserted in the pegbox. The scroll is another part that is located in the upper portion of the violin. Most of the scrolls are decorative and hand carved. The sounding post is the part that is located at the bridge which supports the pressure of the violin. The sounding post and the bridge are closely related since it vibrates together with body when the violin vibrates. The tailpiece in the one in the bottom part which hold the strings and gives a good distance from the bridge of the violin.. The bow is one important instrument that is being scraped to the 4 string of the violin in order to generate a sound. The bow is made of a stick with a horsetail. The bow is strung at the opposite ends between the frog and the tip or the heel and the nut. It measure for about 75 cm or 29 inches and weighs about 2.1 oz or 60 grams. Without the bow, the violin is useless.

Many luthiers or violin makers spent several years in order to create original with good quality type of violin. Most of them that had successfully brought hit marks in violin making are the Amati family in Cremona, Italy most popular in the year 1500 to 1740, the family of Bertolotti Gasparo da Salò tahat most popular in the year 1530 to 1615 in Brescia and in Salo. The Dalla Corna family was also popular violin makers and boosts in the year 1510 to 1560 in Venezia, Italy and in Brescia. The one from Brescia also is Giovanni Paolo Maggini is a famous violin maker that reigned in the year 1600 to 1630, Jacob Stainer, the Gagliano family, the Guarneri family in Cremona, the family of Inverardi in Brescia, the Micheli family in Brescia and the Stravivari family in Cremona.

• The Amati family in Cremona, Italy.

The Amati family is one of the Italian famous luthiers. Members of the family include Andrea, Girolamo, Antonio and Nicolo. Andrea is the one who originally influenced by the early makers of violins that leads him to create her own. Due to her passion of violin making, he continued and became the founder of the Cremona school of violin making. Andrea has two sons; Antonio and Nicolo are the one who worked with Andrea and brought violin making as their legacy. Andrea made the famous ‘grand Amati’ that composed of two large violins, he also introduced the amber colored varnish of the violins. Nicolo is another member of Amati family, he is the son of Girolamo that generates unique violin and he is notable for beauty of workmanship & tone of violin making.

• Gagliano Family

Alessandro Gagliano is one of the famous violin makers, who worked in the shops of Antonio Stradivari & Nicolo Amati when he was young. Together with his son Nicolo they both created good quality of violins.

• The family of Bertolotti Gasparo da Salò in Brescia and Salò.

Bertolotti da Salo of the Gasparo da Salo are popular violin makers and players of double bass. Family member include; Fransesco Bertolotti, Agostino Bertolotti and Gasparo Bertolotti. This family is best known for their violins with remarkable sound and astonishing power.

• The Dalla Corna Family in Brescia and Venezia, Italy

Dalla Corna and his family were also popular in playing and making violins from 1510 to 1560 in Venezia and Brescia, Italy. Family members include Giovan Giacomo Dalla Corna who was the 1^st maker of the Brescian school and his son Joan Maria da Bressa.

• Giovanni Paolo Maggini in Brescia

Giovanni Paolo Maggini was a good apprentice of the famous violin maker Gasparo da Salò. Maggini was popular because of his original violins that are made from good quality woods and large hole sounds. He has known for having at least 60 violins, 2 viloncellos, 9 violas, a double bass and few viols.

• The Guarneri family in Cremona

Family members include Andrea Guarneri, who was a good apprentice of Nicolo Amati from 1641 – 1646. His 2 son’s Pietro Giovanni Guarneri or Pietro da Mantova and Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Guarneri or sometimes called filius Andreae. Pietro Guarneri or Pietro da Venezia and Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri also known as del Gesù are sons of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista that creates unique violin that until now are being treasured. Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri is called as del Gesu or ‘of Jesus’ because he always incorporates the Roman cross and the characters: I.H.S. or the iota-eta-sigma which means Jesus Christ.

Some of the popular creations of Andrea Guarneri that are being preserved in museums are the II Cannone Guarnerius, the Ex- Viextemps and the Lord Wilton.

• Jacob Stainer

Jacob Stainer is another popular luthier came from Austria. His instruments are known for the following features: high arching belly, good cut rolls, amber and red orange varnish and broad on the lower back. Jacob Stainer also creates viola, viola di bordone and bastarda.

• The Inverardi family in Brescia

Francesco Inverardi together with his family was also famous violin maker in the year 1550 to 1580.

• The Micheli family in Brescia

Pellegrino Micheli who was known to be the maestro di strumenti da sonar or the master of instrument for playing. He was popular of making not only the violins but also the ceteras, double basses, violones, lyras, violas and viols.

• Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, Italy

Antonio Stradivari was a famous Italian violin maker and a crafter of the musical instruments. He was a good apprentice of Nicolo Amati at the age of 12. He is known for bringing the violin into the highest level of perfection. Some of his instruments are preserved in some museum around the globe. Antonio Stradivari is not only popular in making violins but also in violas, guitars, harps and cellos. Some of his famous violins that are preserved and owned by opulent individuals are the Lady Blunt, The Molitor", the Hammer, the Solomon, the Ex-Lambert and the Lady Tennant.

Some popular school of violin making are the: Neapolitan school in Cremona, The Milanase school, The Venerian school,The Brescian school, Cresmona school and The school of Brescia.