About the Violin Its Greatest Makers Its Construction and Sound

The oldest documented violin family instrument to have four strings, like the modern violin, is a viola that was constructed between 1536-1559 by Andrea Amati, (pictured left) although there is some evidence that Gaspar de Salo was making similar instruments during that time and Andrea had the opportunity to see these examples. This instrument was made for King Charles IX of France who ordered Amati to construct 24 instruments for him. Other basic violin shaped instruments, from significantly earlier, only had three strings, were tuned differently and didn't have the tonal qualities that the modern looking violin has. The violin immediately became very popular among street musicians and from the nobility. "The Messiah" or "Le Messie" was made by Antonio Stradivari in 1716 and remains in near new condition. The Amati viola above I had the good fortune to see on several occasions from 1973-1981 when it was owned by my first violin making teacher, Willis M Gault. Many of Gaults tools and forms and this viola are now at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota.
For more information on the history of the violin click here
Some of the most famous violin makers between the late 16th century and the 18th century included:
Andrea Amati (1500 - 1577)
Hieronymus Amati I (1561-1630)
Nicolo Amati (1596-1684) Teacher of Antonio Stradivari
Andrea Guarneri (1626-1698)
Pietro Guarneri of Mantua (1655-1720)
Giuseppe Guarneri (Joseph filius Andreae) (1666-1739)
Pietro Guarneri (of Venice) (1695-1762)
Giuseppe (del Gesu) Guarneri (1698-1744)
Antonio Stradivari (of Cremona) (1644-1737)
Alexander, Nicolo I and Ferdinand Gagliano (1700-1800)
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini of Piacenza (1711-1786)
Jacob Stainer (1617-1683) of Absam in Tyrol
http://violininformation.webs.com/abouttheviolin.htm