In fact, the oldest violin in existence today is one built by Andre Amati around 1565.
The oldest confirmed surviving violin, dated inside, is the "Charles IX" by Andrea Amati, made in Cremona in 1564, but the label is very doubtful. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an Amati violin that may be even older, possibly dating to 1558 but just like the Charles IX the date is unconfirmed.
The violin first appeared in the Brescia area of Northern Italy in the early sixteenth century. From around 1485, Brescia was home to a school of highly prized string players and famous for makers of all the string instruments of the Renaissance; the viola da gamba, violone, lyra, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo.
The most sweeping change happened in the 1800s, when a change in the accepted pitch of the violin resulted in luthier modifications to almost all existing violins. A centimeter was added to the neck and fingerboard to allow for the change and the bass bar was increased in weight to allow for more string tension.
The earliest records of violins appear in the early to mid-sixteenth century. The 1530 painting by Gaudenzio Ferrari, Madonna of the Orange Tree, shows a cherub playing a bowed instrument with the features of a violin. The earliest written records of violins come from France and Italy, dating to the mid to late 1530s.
The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals.
The oldest violins are the most valuable, but even a relatively new instrument can be worth a lot of money if it has an interesting history or was made by a renowned builder. In recent years, the market for vintage violins has exploded, with some instruments selling for millions of dollars at auction.
The A String
It took nearly ten years before it became standard. The pure gut A string was common until the advent of synthetic strings in 1970.
Antique violins are well-aged, but seasoning is not the only factor that gives vintage instruments their unique tone quality. Violins sound better and become more responsive the more they are played. Before a violin is even made, aging is already a factor.
These included the vielle (also known as the fidel or viuola) and the lira da braccio. The violin in its present form emerged in early 16th-century northern Italy.
The Messiah violin by Antonio Stradivarius is estimated to have a worth of $20 million and ranks among the most expensive violins in the world. Made in 1716, this historic instrument remains incredibly in almost perfect "like new" condition.
1. The Alard Stradivarius. Antonio Stradivari is one of the most famous makers of stringed instruments (otherwise known as luthiers) of all time. His instruments are highly regarded and often sell for six figure sums at auction thanks to their unique sound and esteemed history.
Cremona, Italy, is the world capital of violin-making, and is the birthplace of the famous Stradivarius violins that can be worth millions of dollars.
2. Bullroarer. Up next is the Bullroarer, an ancient musical instrument that dates back to 18,000 BC.
The earliest surviving stringed instruments to date are the Lyres of Ur, plucked chordophones, which currently exist in fragments that date back to 4,500 years ago. The first bowed chordophones were probably developed in central Asia and were the forerunners of an Indian folk instrument known as the ravanastron.
The violins of Antonio Stradivari are considered to be the world's best violins because of the tone which they are capable of producing. Even in a large concert hall with an audience of thousands of players, musicians playing on Stradivarius violins can be heard from even the furthest seats in the venue.
So how long does it actually take, to sound good on the violin or viola? As a teacher, I would say that most students take around three to five years to start sounding good and probably 10 years to sound like a completely fluent player.
Supply and Demand: One reason the value of a Stradivarius violin is so dear is because there are so few of them left, and they are no longer being made. Simple economics dictates that when there is a demand but little supply, value increases.
Keep playing
Breaking in new violin strings isn't a uniform process for everyone. Generally, it takes up to 3-7 days for the strings to settle. Unlike gut strings, synthetic strings may initially sound metallic or too loud with a lot of surface noise.
Violin strings have an “average use span,” sort of like car tires. The string experts at Connolly Music have found the optimal life of orchestral strings is around 300 playing hours – give or take 10%.
Unfortunately, yes, violin strings do expire. So any stories you may have heard about an old violin that was found in a drawer and still played perfectly the moment it was discovered are most likely not true. Regular upkeep – including string replacement – is necessary to maintain a violin in perfect playing order.
The best way to know the age of a violin is to look inside the f-hole and find the label inside the violin – a kind of sticker with the violin maker's name and the year the violin was made.
An aged violin that is played on regularly will still improve in tone, but not as dramatically as on a new violin. An old violin will have a more mellow tone that has harmonized over time.
Wood in violins only resonates with more clarity as it ages, which usually means it is preferable to restore an older violin's wood than to replace it. Over time, wood can warp and distort from enduring changes and extremes of temperature and humidity.