Antiques facts

Around 650. Antonio Stradivari continued to work until his death, in 1737, at the age of 93. He made over 1,000 instruments, of which around 650 still exist, including around 500 violins.

Andrea Amati. The oldest documented violin to have four strings, like the modern violin, is supposed to have been constructed in 1555 by Andrea Amati. Earlier instruments only had three strings and were called violetta. The violin immediately became very popular, both among street musicians and the nobility.

Antonio Stradivari. Two complete guitars by Stradivari exist: Hill, (1688, Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University) and Rawlins (1700, National Music Museum South Dakota). These guitars have ten (doubled) strings, which was typical of the era.