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Tone Evaluations by Martin Swan: review of violins by named makers

As a part of my business I spend a good deal of time at auctions and in violin shops, and I make a point of playing every violin which is in playable condition. I’ve got into the habit of writing down basic observations about tone, and taking note of the estimates and sale prices of the instruments I play. I started collecting this information just for myself – as a way of building up a picture of the tonal qualities of instruments made by different makers. I decided to put it on the website because it challenges all the received wisdom about what’s a “good violin”.

>> Criteria for Violin Tone Evaluations

Makers:  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

KEY to auction houses				KEY to tonal ratings
Bo	Bonhams	T	Tarisio			Three star
Br	Brompton's	S	Sotheby's			Two star
GH	Gardiner Houlgate	R	Retail			One star
						Not worth rating

	Sale date				Auction Estimate	Sale Price
T	10/2011	Franco Albanelli	Bologna	c1960	£7-10K	£8,000
Bo	10/2012	Albert & Merke	Philadelphia	c1900	£2-3K	unsold
T	10/2012	Franco Albinelli	Bologna	2003	£4-6K	£4,800
Br	06/2011	Armando Altavilla	Naples		£8-12K	unsold
T	11/2011	Antonio & Girolamo Amati	Cremona	c1620		$385,000
T	03/2011	Amati Brothers	Cremona		£40-60K	£69,000
S	03/2012	Nicolo Amati	Cremona	1682	£250-350K	£301,250
T	10/2012	Vincenzo Anastasio	Naples	2006	£2-3K	£2,160
T	03/2011	Vincenzo Anastasio	Naples	2003	£2-3K	£2,520
T	03/2011	Vincenzo Annanaruma	Salerno	1932	£10-15K	£10,800
Br	10/2012	Riccardo Antoniazzi	Milan	c1890	£25-35K	£36,000
Br	03/2012	Riccardo Antoniazzi	Milan	c1890	£50-70K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Milan	1900	£9-12K	£7,500
S	10/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Cremona	1907	£8-12K	£25,000
T	03/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Milan	1908	£20-30K	£30,000
Bo	03/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Cremona	1909	£25-30K	£24,000
T	10/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Cremona	1914	£12-18K	£21,000
T	06/2011	Romeo Antoniazzi	Cremona	1924	£25-40K	unsold
T	10/2012	Georges Apparut	Mirecourt	1947	£2.5-4K	£3,000
Br	10/2012	Georges Apparut	Mirecourt	1939	£1.5-2K	unsold
Br	06/2010	Georges Apparut	Mirecourt	1944	£2-3K	£2,400
GH	10/2012	Job Arden	Wilmslow		£900-1.2K	unsold
T	10/2012	Claudio Arezio	Firenze	2003	£3-5K	£3,600
Br	06/2010	Aldebrano Armagliani	Gerona	1839	£8-12K	£7,000
Bo	10/2011	William Atkinson	Tottenham	1887	£3-4K	unsold
T	06/2011	Joseph Aubry	Le Havre	1933	£1.2-1.8K	£2,750
GH	03/2011	Luigi Auciello	Milan	1942	£2.5-3K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Nestor Audinot	Paris	1892	£5-7K	£5,000
Bo	03/2011	Nestor Audinot	Paris	1896	£10-15K	£10,000
T	03/2011	Victor Audinot	Paris	1925	£2-3K	£3,000
Br	06/2011	Paul Bailly	Paris	c1880	£3-5K	£6,000
Br	03/2012	Paul Bailly	London	1899	£7-10K	£12,000
S	10/2011	Paul Bailly	Mirecourt	c1900	£6-8K	£10,625
Br	10/2011	Luigi Bajoni	Milan	1877	£18-25K	unsold
S	10/2011	James & Henry Banks	Salisbury	1810	£3-5K	unsold
Br	06/2010	Bruno Barbieri	Mantua	1983	£3-5K	£3,000
GH	03/2011	Enzo Barbieri	Mantova	1981	£3-4K	£3,000
T	10/2012	Paolo de Barbieri	Genoa	1920	£6-9K	£6,600
Br	10/2012	Paolo de Barbieri	Genoa	1946	£23-35K	unsold
T	03/2011	Paolo de Barbieri	Genoa	1925	£18-25K	£25,000
S	10/2011	Paolo de Barbieri	Genoa	1945	£15-25K	£17,500
T	03/2012	Giuseppe Bargelli	Florence	1937	£4-6K	£4,800
Br	12/2012	Francois Barzoni	Mirecourt	c1900	£700-1K	£840
Bo	10/2012	Francois Barzoni	Mirecourt	1907	£1-1.5K	£1,250
Bo	10/2012	Francois Barzoni	Mirecourt	1910	£1-1.5K	£1,187
Br	03/2012	Alfio Batelli	Florence	1930	£5-7K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Gustave Bazin	Mirecourt		£1.5-2K	unsold
GH	03/2011	Alan Beavit	Scoraig	1984	£2-3K	unsold
S	10/2011	Vittorio Bellarosa	Naples	c1940	£7-10K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Vittorio Bellarosa	Naples	c1950	£6-8K	£7,200
S	10/2011	Vittorio Bellarosa	Naples	1952	£10-15K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Vittorio Bellarosa	Naples	1962	£10-15K	£17,000
Bo	10/2011	Giuseppe Bellazzini	Bonferraro	1929	£4-5K	£6,250
T	10/2012	Corrado Belli	Cremona	1981	£4-6K	£7,220
Br	03/2012	Giuseppe Beltrami	Cremona	1917	£9-12K	unsold
Bo	03/2012	Père Bernardel	Paris	1851	£25-35K	unsold
T	03/2012	Gustave Bernardel	Paris	1892	£10-15K	£13,200
Br	10/2012	Leon Bernardel	Paris	1932	£2-3K	£5,400
Br	03/2012	John Betts	London	c1790	£7-10K	£13,200
Br	03/2012	John Betts	London	c1814	£4-6K	£7,800
T	03/2011	Secondo Bianchini	Salo	1950	£2.5-4K	£4,200
T	10/2012	Oscar Bischofbergerer	Zurich	1941	£4-6K	unsold
S	03/2012	Carlo Bisiach	Milan	1928	£25-35K	£30,000
Br	10/2011	Carlo Bisiach	Florence	1940	£18-25K	£22,000
Br	06/2011	Leandro Bisiach	Milan	1897	£30-50K	£30,000
T	03/2012	Leandro Bisiach	Milan	c1910	£25-40K	£45,000
T	06/2011	Leandro Bisiach Workshop	Milan	c1935	£22-30K	£22,000
T	10/2012	Paul Blanchard	Lyon	1912	£10-15K	unsold
T	10/2012	Paul Blanchard	Lyon	1879	£10-15K	£7,800
Br	10/2012	Paul Blanchard	Lyon	1906	£3-5K	£3,360
Br	03/2011	Paul Blanchard	Lyon	1891	£6-7K	unsold
T	03/2011	Emile Blondelet	Mirecourt	1924	£1-1.5K	£1,320
Bo	10/2011	Emile Blondelet	Mirecourt	1927	£1.5-2K	£2,250
T	06/2011	Tonino Boga	Turin	2006	£1.6-2.2K	£1,600
T	06/2011	William Booth	Leeds	1853	£1.8-2.5K	unsold
S	03/2011	Emile Boulangeot	Lyon	1926	£6-8K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Charles Boullangier	London	1882	£6-7K	unsold
Br	06/2011	Charles Boullangier	London	c1860	£15-20K	£24,000
Br	03/2011	Charles Boullangier	London	1888	£5-7K	£6,500
Bo	10/2012	Jan Boumeester	Amsterdam	1664	£15-20K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Maurice Bourgignon	Brussels	1932	£3-4K	unsold
T	03/2012	James Briggs	Glasgow	1927	£1.8-2.5K	£6,600
R	2011	Carlo Bruno		1921		£35,000
Br	03/2012	Carolus Columbus Bruno	Turin	1913	£4-6K	£4,800
S	03/2012	Camillo Camilli	Mantua	c1740	£30-50K	unsold
Br	06/2011	Antonio Capela	Espinho	1974	£3-5K	£5,500
Bo	10/2011	Antonio Capela	Espinho	1974	£4-5K	£5,125
S	10/2011	Antonio Capela	Espinho	1977	£3.5-5K	£6,250
S	10/2011	Vincenzo Carcassi	Florence	c1800	£8-12K	£9,375
GH	10/2012	Carlo? Carletti	Pieve di Cento	1923	£15-18K	unsold
T	03/2012	Nullo Carletti	Pieve de Cento	1948	£3-5K	£5,700
T	06/2011	Serafino Casini	Florence	1932	£2.4-4K	£6,000
T	06/2011	Paolo Castello	Genoa	c1786	£20-30K	£21,000
T	10/2012	François Caussin	Neufchateau	c1850	£6-9K	unsold
Br	10/2011	François Caussin	Neufchateau	c1860	£1.5-2K	£2,200
T	10/2012	Antonio Cavalazzi	Ravenna	1974	£7-10K	£6,600
T	10/2011	Giovanni Cavani	Spilamberto	c1920	£7-10K	£8,500
Br	03/2011	Vincenzo Cavani	Spilamberto	1942	£10-15K	£12,000
T	03/2012	Emidio Celani	Ascoli Piceno	1888	£3-5K	£8,400
Br	12/2012	Constantinus Celanus	Asculi in Piceno	1938	£2-3K	£2,880
Br	03/2011	Georges Chanot	Paris	1840	£15-20K	£13,000
Bo	03/2012	Georges Chanot	Paris	c1845	£12-18K	unsold
Br	06/2011	Georges Chanot	Manchester	1896	£7-12K	unsold
T	03/2012	Georges Adolph Chanot	Manchester	1898	£6-9K	£6,600
T	03/2011	Joseph Chanot	London	1889	£12-18K	£13,200
S	10/2011	Joseph Anthony Chanot	London	1906	£3-5K	unsold
T	03/2011	Augustin Chappuy	Paris	1774	£1.5-2.2K	£5,100
Br	03/2012	Augustin Chappuy	Paris	1775	£5-700	£3,360
S	10/2011	Victor Joseph Charotte	Mirecourt	1913	£3-5K	unsold
T	10/2012	Frederic Chaudiere	Montpellier	1997	£18-25K	£36,000
Br	06/2011	Gaetano Chiocchi	Padua	1871	£20-30K	£18,000
T	03/2012	Alessandro Ciciliati	Ferrara	2005	£4-6K	£6,600
Bo	10/2011	Albert Coad	Penzance	1937	£1-2K	£2,500
Bo	03/2011	Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	1929	£1.2-1.8K	£1,440
T	10/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	1887	£4-6K	£4,000
GH	10/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	c1890	£3-5K	£4,800
Br	06/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	1900	£4-6K	£4,000
T	03/2012	Charles JB Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	1907	£1.8-2.5K	£1,920
GH	10/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin	Mirecourt	c1910	£2-3K	unsold
T	06/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin père	Mirecourt	1895	£3-5K	£3,000
Bo	10/2012	Charles JB Collin-Mezin fils	Mirecourt	1931	£4-5K	unsold
T	06/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin fils	Mirecourt	c1927	£1.2-1.8K	£1,200
T	06/2011	Charles JB Collin Mezin fils	Mirecourt	1928	£2-3K	unsold
T	10/2011	Romano Comastri	Imola	1973	£3-5K	£2,200
Br	06/2010	Stefano Conia	Cremona	1979	£3-5K	£3,200
Br	03/2012	Primo Contavalli	Omola	c1946	£5-7K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Alfredus Contino	Naples	1921	£15-18K	£15,000
T	03/2012	Alfredo Contino	Naples	1929	£15-22K	£26,400
Bo	03/2012	Pietro Antonio dalla Costa	Treviso	c1750	£50-70K	£61,250
Bo	10/2011	Charles Cramond	Aberdeen	1830	£1-1.5K	£1,125
Br	12/2012	George Craske		c1870	£3-5K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	George Craske		c1870	£3-4K	£3,500
Br	06/2011	George Craske	London	c1850	£2.5-4K	£3,500
Bo	03/2012	George Craske		c1870	£2.5-3.5K	£4,000
Bo	03/2011	George Craske	Manchester	1874	£2.5-3.5K	£4,900
T	10/2012	Anselmo Curletto	Turin	1948	£12-18K	unsold
S	10/2011	Johannes Francis Cuypers	Amsterdam	1799	£15-20K	£27,500
Br	12/2011	Salvatore Dambra	Messina	c1820		unsold
T	10/2012	Silvio Danieli	Bonferrato	1929	£6-9K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Eugenio Degani	Venice	1894	£30-35K	unsold
Br	06/2012	Eugenio Degani	Venice	1896	£18-25K	£33,600
Bo	03/2012	Eugenio Degani	Venice	1897	£15-20K	£34,850
Br	03/2011	Francois Delprato	Mirecourt		£2-3K	£2,400
Br	12/2012	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1870	£5-8K	£6,000
Bo	10/2012	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1870	£5-6K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1870	£8-12K	unsold
Bo	03/2011	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1840	£15-20K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1850	£3-4K	£3,750
T	03/2012	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1855	£4-6K	unsold
Br	06/2012	Honore Derazey	Mirecourt	c1855	£14-18K	£16,800
Bo	10/2012	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt	c1890	£2.5-3.5K	unsold
Br	06/2011	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt		£2.5-3.5K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt	c1880	£5-7K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt	c1880	£10-15K	unsold
Bo	03/2012	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt	c1880	£3-4K	£4,000
Br	03/2012	Juste Derazey	Mirecourt		£2-3K	£3,360
S	10/2011	Justin Derazey	Mirecourt	c1880	£3-5K
S	03/2012	Giuseppe Desiato	Naples	1896	£12-16K	£22,500
T	10/2012	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	1950	£2.5-4K	£2,280
T	06/2011	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	c1920	£2-3K	£2,100
T	06/2011	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	1933	£1.8-2.5K	£2,000
S	10/2011	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	1934	£3-5K	unsold
S	10/2011	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	1940	£3-5K	unsold
T	03/2012	Amédée Dieudonnée	Mirecourt	1944	£2-3K	£2,760
Bo	10/2012	Alfred Dixon	Folkestone	1941	£2-3K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Hermann Dolling Jr	Markneukirchen	c1900	£2-3K	unsold
S	03/2012	Richard Duke Jr	London	1792	£4-6K	£6,875
Br	06/2011	George Duncan	Glasgow	1880	£1-1.5K	£1,100
Br	10/2012	Annibale Fagnola	Turin	1890	£40-50K	unsold
R	2011	Annibale Fagnola				£85,000
Br	12/2011	Annibale Fagnola	Turin	c1900	£30-50K	£46,000
S	10/2011	Annibale Fagnola	Turin	1927	£40-60K	£115,250
S	10/2011	Annibalotto Fagnola	Turin	1928	£20-30K	£46,850
T	10/2012	Auguste Falisse	Brussels	1916	£3-5K	£3,900
T	06/2011	Auguste Falisse	Brussels	1909	£3-5K	£3,000
T	10/2012	Celeste Farotti	Milan	1901	£5-8K	£10,200
T	10/2011	Celestino Farotti	Milan	1970	£7-10K	£8,000
T	06/2011	Giovanni Fichera	Naples	1978	£3-5K	£6,500
Bo	03/2011	Leon Fichesser	Paris	1906	£10-15K	£9,000
Bo	03/2011	Giuseppe Fiorini	Munich	1897	£30-40K	£60,000
Br	10/2011	Giuseppe Fiorini	Zurich	1919	£50-70K	£50,000
S	10/2011	Benoit Fleury	Paris	1761	£3-5K	£20,000
Bo	10/2012	P Franot	Mirecourt	c1870	£1-1.5K	unsold
S	10/2011	Rodolfo Fredi	Rome	1929	£10-15K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Matthew Furber	London	1785	£3-4K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Matthew Furber	London	1811	£5-800	£1,800
T	10/2012	Giovanni B Gabrielli	Florence	c1760	£40-60K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Gaetano Gadda	Mantua	1930	£15-20K	£28,800
Br	10/2012	Gaetano Gadda	Mantua		£25-35K	£28,800
Bo	10/2012	Mario Gadda	Mantua	1991	£3-4K	£3,500
Bo	10/2012	Mario Gadda	Mantua	1987	£2-3K	£4,000
T	10/2012	Mario Gadda	Mantua	c1980	£7-10K	£8,400
S	03/2012	Mario Gadda	Mantua	1976	£6-8K	£12,500
Br	03/2012	Pierre Gaggini	Nice	1938	£3-5K	£3,600
T	03/2011	Pierre Gaggini	Nice	1943	£6-9K	£6,600
T	03/2012	Gennaro Gagliano	Naples	1743	£60-90K	£66,000
T	10/2012	Giuseppe Gagliano	Naples	c1800	£80-120K	£96,000
T	10/2012	Giuseppe & Antonio Gagliano	Naples	c1800	£20-30K	£18,000
Br	03/2012	Januarius Gagliano	Naples	1722	£30-50K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Nicolo Gagliano	Naples	c1760	£50-70K	£57,600
T	10/2011	Nicolo Gagliano	Naples	c1750	£140-180K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Raffaele & Antonio Gagliano	Naples		£20-30K	£20,000
GH	10/2011	Giovanni Gaida	Ivrea	1933	£10-15K	unsold
S	03/2012	Charles Gaillard	Paris	c1875	£3-5K	£3,500
T	10/2012	Pietro Galinotti	Solero	1929	£10-15K	unsold
T	06/2011	Antonin Galla	Brno	1955	£2-3K	£1,800
Br	10/2011	Claudio Gamberini	Bologna	c1920	£7-10K	£7,000
Br	03/2012	Gand & Bernardel	Paris	1878	£10-15K	£12,000
T	06/2011	Gand & Bernardel	Paris	1882	£8-12K	£8,000
GH	10/2012	Richard Gareis	Graslitz		£3-500	220
Bo	10/2011	Eugen Gartner	Stuttgart	1901	£5-7K	unsold
T	04/2012	Giorgio Gatti	Turin	1919	$30-50K	$42,000
Br	06/2012	Franciscus Geissenhof	Vienna	c1808	£8-12K	£9,000
Bo	10/2012	George Gemunder	Long Island	1888	£8-12K	£9,375
S	03/2012	Riccardo Genovese	Montiglio	1924	£18-25K	£23,750
Bo	10/2011	Emile Germain	Paris	1894	£2-3K	£2,500
Br	12/2012	Antonio Giacci	Osimo	1979	£2-3K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Alfredo Gianotti	Milan	1975	£3-5K	£8,000
T	10/2011	Senio Giovanetti	Turin	1988	£2-4K	£2,200
S	03/2012	Ludovico Giovannetti	San Benedetto	1950	£4-6K	unsold
Br	10/2012	William Glenister	London	1918	£1.5-2K	unsold
T	10/2012	Antonius Goeting	Amsterdam	1929	£2-3K	unsold
T	06/2011	Eduardo Gorr	Cremona	2003	£1.5-2.2K	£4,000
Br	10/2012	Anselmo Gotti	Ferrara	c1929	£6-8K	£6,600
Br	06/2012	Anselmo Gotti	Ferrara	c1929	£7-10K	unsold
GH	10/2012	Emile Gourrien	Mirecourt	1928	£1.3-1.7K	unsold
T	10/2011	Gugliemo Govoni	Bologna	c1970	£3-5K	£2,200
Bo	10/2012	Antonio Gragnani	Livorno	1778	£20-30K	£18,750
S	10/2011	Antonio Gragnani	Livorno	1779	£25-35K	£58,850
T	11/2011	Giovanni Grancino	Milan	1697		$135,000
Br	06/2011	Granjon Père	Mirecourt	c1870	£1-1.5K	£1,000
T	03/2012	John Greaves	Edmonton	c1810	£3-5K	£3,600
Br	03/2012	Francesco Guadagnini	Turin	1937	£40-60K	£45,600
GH	10/2012	Lorenzo Frassini Guado	Cremona	1992	£2-3K	unsold
S	10/2011	Dante & Alfredo Guastalla	Reggiolo Emilia	c1920	£15-20K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Dante & Alfred Guastalla	Reggiolo Emilia	1924	£10-15K	£12,000
S	10/2011	Dante & Alfredo Guastalla	Reggiolo Emilia	1924	£12-18K	unsold
Br	06/2010	Fratelli Guastalla	Reggiolo	1928	£5-7K	£8,500
T	03/2011	Guastalla Bros	Reggiolo	1932	£6-9K	£7,200
Br	10/2011	Louis Guersan	Paris	1747	£6-10K	£5,800
Br	06/2011	Gottfried Hamm	Markneukirchen	c1790	£600-1K	£650
Br	06/2011	Charles Harris	Addebury	1826	£3-5K	£3,500
Br	03/2011	Hart & Son	London		£3-6K	£4,500
Bo	10/2012	Jacques W Hakkert	Rotterdam	1913	£2.5-3.5K	£3,000
Bo	10/2011	Joseph Hel	Lille	1901	£15-20K	unsold
S	10/2011	Pierre Joseph Hel	Lille	1901	£8-12K	£10,000
Br	03/2012	Eugene Henry	Paris	1861	£4-6K	£6,000
Br	12/2012	JB Herclik	Mlada Boleslav		£1-1.2K	£1,200
Bo	03/2011	Thomas Earle Hesketh	Manchester	1910	£3-4K	£3,000
S	10/2011	Thomas Earle Hesketh	Manchester	1933	£4-6K	£4,750
Br	12/2011	Thomas Earle Hesketh	Manchester	1939	£2-4K	£3,200
Br	03/2012	Thomas Earle Hesketh	Manchester	1939	£2.5-3.5K	£5,760
Br	03/2011	Thomas Earle Hesketh	Manchester	1958	£4-6K	unsold
T	06/2011	W E Hill & Sons	London	1919	£6-9K	£12,000
Br	10/2012	Matthys Hofmans	Amsterdam	c1720	£15-20K	£16,800
Bo	10/2012	TJ Holder			£3-4K	£5,000
S	10/2011	Hendrik Jacobs	Amsterdam	1694	£10-15K	£13,750
Bo	03/2012	Edward P Janson	Manchester	1856	£2-3K	£2,375
Bo	10/2011	John Johnson	London	c1756	£3-4K	£4,125
S	10/2011	Thomas Kennedy	London	1842	£5-7K	£7,500
Br	03/2012	Cornelius Kleynman	Amsterdam	1683	£12-18K	unsold
S	10/2011	Sebastian Klotz	Mittenwald	c1750	£3.5-5K	£6,000
Br	03/2012	Sebastian Klotz	Mittenwald	c1750	£7-10K	£11,400
Br	12/2011	Sebastian Klotz	Mittenwald	1802	£2-3K	£3,200
T	03/2012	Paul Knorr	Markneukirchen	c1930	£4.5-6K	£5,400
Bo	10/2012	Oskar Krahl	Meerane	1931	£2-3K	unsold
GH	10/2011	Joseph Kriner	Mittenwald	1790	£1.5-2.5	£4,200
T	10/2012	Luigi Lanaro	Padua	1980	£6-9K	unsold
Br	12/2012	Umberto Lanaro	Padua	1976	£5-7K	£7,200
Br	10/2012	Umberto Lanaro	Padua	1976	£7-10K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Alfred Lanini	San Jose	1920	£3-5K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Alfred Lanini	San Jose	1931	£3-5K	unsold
Br	03/2011	Houslar Lansinger	Prague		£1.5-2K	unsold
T	06/2011	Lorenzo Latelli	Cremona	2008	£2.5-4K	£2,500
T	10/2011	Emile Laurent	Brussels	1905	£8-12K	£7,500
Br	03/2012	Emile Laurent	Bordeaux	1913	£3.5-4.5K	£3,840
Br	06/2011	Lauriol	Bordeaux	1862	£1-1.5K	£3,500
T	10/2012	Claude Lebet	Rome	2011	£4.5-6K	unsold
T	10/2012	Dino Lelle	Cesena	1996	£1.5-2.2K	£1,800
T	03/2012	Joseph D Lete	Paris	c1835	£9-12K	unsold
Br	12/2012	Lete & Denis	Turin	c1830	£3-5K	£3,000
Br	06/2012	Antonius Lucca	Verona	1915	£10-15K	unsold
T	03/2011	Giuseppe Lucci	Bagnacavallo	1946	£6-9K	£14,400
T	10/2011	Giuseppe Lucci	Rome	1963	£15-22K	£15,000
Bo	10/2011	William H Luff	London	1973	£4-6K	£6,000
T	10/2012	Nicolas Lupot	Paris	1800	£80-120K	£108,000
T	06/2011	Nicholas Lupot	Paris	1799	£80-120K	£150,000
Bo	10/2012	Gustav Lutschg	Berne	1930	£4-5K	unsold
S	10/2011	Cesare Maggiali	Carrara	1932	£6-8K	unsold
T	06/2011	Cesare Maggiali	Cessena	1963	£5-8K	unsold
T	06/2011	Erminio Malagutti	Milan	1982	£8-12K	£8,000
T	10/2011	Salvatore Mangiacsale	Torino	2001	£3-5K	£2,200
Br	06/2011	Edoardo Marcheti	Turin	1922	£18-25K	£18,000
Br	06/2011	Enrico Marchetti	Turin	1882	£12-18K	unsold
Br	10/2011	Enrico Marchetti	Turin	c1890	£7-10K	£13,000
T	03/2011	Enrico Marchetti	Turin	1908	£25-40K	£27,000
S	03/2012	Enrico Marchetti	Turin	1923	£24-28K	£27,500
Bo	03/2011	Guiseppe Marconcini	Ferrara	1800	£15-20K	£18,000
Bo	10/2012	Olivier Marissal	Lille	1933	£800-1.2K	£1,500
T	10/2012	Claude Miremont	New York	1862	£10-15K	£12,000
Br	06/2011	Oreste Martini	Mantua	1921	£4-6K	£2,400
Br	12/2012	Justin Maucotel	Mirecourt	c1880	£1.5-2K	£1,800
Br	10/2012	Justin Maucotel	Mirecourt		£1.5-2K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Carolus Maurizi	Bologna	1929	£5-7K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Edwin Maxwell	Wimbledon	1938	£1-1.5K	unsold
T	10/2012	Walter Mayson	Manchester	c1900	£2.5-4K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Walter H Mayson	Manchester	1888	£2-3K	unsold
T	10/2012	Karel Van Der Meer	Amsterdam	1929	£2-3K	£2,520
T	10/2011	Alessandro Mezzadri	Ferrara	1701	£45-60K	£47,500
T	10/2011	Adolfo Melli	Reggiolo	1934	£3-5K	£3,000
GH	10/2012	Emile Menesson	Reims	1881	£7-10K	unsold
S	10/2011	Charles Mennegand	Paris	1879	£3.8-5K	unsold
Br	12/2011	Janos Michelberger	Budapest	1926	£600-1K	£620
Bo	10/2011	Plino Michetti	Turin	1941	£10-15K	unsold
Br	10/2012	R&M Millant	Paris	1947	£2.5-3.5K
Bo	10/2011	Roger & Max Millant	Paris	1939	£3-4K	£4,000
S	03/2012	Claude Auguste Miremont	Paris	1880	£7-10K	unsold
T	10/2011	Mino Mirizzi	Bari	1955	£1.5-2.2K	£1,000
S	03/2012	Max Mockel	Berlin	1934	£2.5-3.5K	£4,750
Bo	03/2011	Louis Moitessier	Paris/Mirecourt	1810	£2-3K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Max Moller	Amsterdam	1943	£5-7K	unsold
Br	06/2010	Domenico Montagnana	Venice	1723	£250-400K	£510,000
GH	10/2012	AC Monteverde	Cremona	1923	£3-5K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Giovanni Baptista Morassi	Cremona	1998	£12-18K	£19,200
S	10/2011	Georges Mougenot	Brussels	1882	£5-8K	£5,625
Br	06/2011	Leon Mougenot Gauche	Mirecourt	1902	£3-5K	unsold
Bo	10/2012	Hans Muller	Vienna	1935	£1.5-2K	£1,750
GH	10/2012	Ernest Mumby	London		£4-600	£580
Br	03/2012	Romedio Muncher	Cremona	1924	£3-5K	£5,760
T	03/2011	Romedio Muncher	Cremona	1929	£1.8-2.5K	unsold
T	10/2012	Umberto Muschietti	Udine	1925	£6-9K	unsold
Br	10/2011	Colin Nicholls	London	1992	£1.5-2K	unsold
T	10/2012	Didier Nicolas	Mirecourt	c1800	£5-8K	£4,200
T	10/2012	Didier Nicolas	Mirecourt	c1800	£3-5K	£3,600
Bo	10/2011	Didier Nicolas	France	c1780	£2-3K	£2,250
T	03/2011	Carlo Giuseppe Oddone	Turin	1905	£40-60K	£54,000
Br	03/2012	Carlo Giuseppe Oddone	Turin	1918	£50-70K	£64,800
T	10/2011	Carlo Giuseppe Oddone	Turin	1930	£45-60K	£42,500
S	10/2011	Archimede Orlandini	Parma	1965	£4-6K	£7,500
Bo	10/2012	Louis Otto	Dresden	1898	£3-4K	£3,500
Br	06/2011	John W Owen	Leeds	1924	£1.5-2.5K	£1,400
T	10/2011	Aldo Pagliacci	Rome	1985	£2.5-4K	£2,500
Br	10/2012	Giovanni Panizzi	San Remo	1947	£7-10K
Br	10/2012	Vincenzo Panormo	London	c1790	£30-50K	£48,000
S	10/2011	Daniel Parker	London	c1720	£6-8K	£9,375
Br	10/2011	Piero Parravicini	Milan	1931	£8-12K	£14,000
Br	10/2012	Giuseppe Pedrazzini	Milan	1947	£30-40K	unsold
S	03/2012	Giuseppe Pedrazzini	Milan	c1945	£22-28K	unsold
S	10/2011	Raimondo Perotta	Milan	1926	£1.2-1.8K	unsold
T	03/2011	Thomas Perry	Dublin	1770	£3-5K	£4,800
Br	03/2011	Armando Piccagliani	Modena	1938	£5-8K	unsold
Bo	03/2011	Francois Pillement	Paris/Mirecourt	1830	£1-1.5K	£1,300
T	10/2011	Bruno Piastri	Gabbice	1995	£2.5-4K	£1,600
S	10/2011	François Louis Pique	Paris	c1800	£20-30K	£37,250
Br	10/2012	Piroue	Paris	c1830	£1.5-2K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Giovanni Pistucci	Naples	c1900	£30-40K	unsold
GH	03/2011	Walter Plain	Glasgow		£800-1.2K	£2,100
Br	10/2012	Andreas Postacchini		c1835	£70-100K	£84,000
T	10/2012	Vincenzo Postiglione	Naples	1871	£30-50K	£54,000
Br	12/2012	Thomas Powell		1794	£3-5K	£3,600
Br	03/2012	JF Pressenda	Turin	1825	£80-100K	£96,000
GH	10/2011	George Pyne	London	1893	£1-1.5K	£980
Br	03/2012	Janos Racsinczky	Budapest	1941	£1.5-2K	unsold
T	10/2011	Othelo Radighieri	Baveno	1987	£4-6K	£3,500
Bo	10/2012	Andreas Renisto		1931	£1-1.5K	£1,620
Br	10/2012	Charles Resuche	Lyon	1894	£2.5-3K	3,120
Br	10/2012	Arthur Richardson	Crediton	1928	£3-5K	unsold
GH	10/2011	Arthur Richardson	Crediton	1920	£2.2-2.8K	£2,000
Br	12/2011	Arthur Richardson	Crediton	1927	£3-5K	£3,200
Br	06/2011	Arthur Richardson	Devon	1928	£5-7K	unsold
T	10/2011	Carlos Roberts	Cremona	1997	£3-5K	£3,000
Br	03/2011	Stanley Robinson	Plumstead		£6-800	£1,100
Br	10/2012	Enrico Rocca	Genoa	1915	£40-50K	68,400
Bo	03/2012	Enrico Rocca	Genova	1894	£50-70K	£80,450
Br	10/2011	Sesto Rocchi	Milan	1933	£7-10K	£9,000
S	10/2011	Giovanni Battista Rogeri	Brescia	c1705	£140-180K	£337,250
T	10/2012	Peter Rombouts	Amsterdam	c1712	£25-40K	unsold
Br	06/2012	Giuseppe Rossi	Rome	1921	£7-10K	£15,600
Br	12/2011	Giovanni Rota	Cremona	1800	£18-25K	£26,000
Bo	10/2012	Ernst Heinrich Roth	Markneukirchen	1937	£1-1.5K	£2,125
Br	10/2012	Ernst Heinrich Roth	Markneukirchen	1944	£2-3K	£3,600
Br	03/2011	Ernst Heinrich Roth	Markneukirchen	1923	£800-1.2K	£2,300
GH	10/2011	Ernst Heinrich Roth	Markneukirchen	1928	£1.5-2.5K	£3,400
Br	10/2011	Luigi Rovatto	Buenos Aires	1929	£4-6K	£5,000
Bo	10/2011	Tullio Rovescalli	Cremona	1930	£6-7K	£9,750
Br	03/2012	David Rubio	Cambridge	1992	£3-5K	£3,360
Bo	10/2012	Carl Ruffe	Markneukirchen	1931	£1-1.5K	unsold
T	06/2011	Vincenzo Rugeri	Cremona	1717	£80-120K	£85,000
T	10/2012	Francesco Ruggeri	Cremona	c1680	£60-90K	unsold
Br	12/2012	Benigno Saccani	Milan	c1880	£4-6K	unsold
Br	10/2012	Benigno Saccani	Milan	1910	£6-10K	unsold
Br	12/2012	Luigi Salsedo		1932	£1-1.5K	£1,920
Br	06/2010	Luigi Salsedo	Naples	1925	£2.5-3K	£2,600
Bo	03/2012	Luigi Salsedo	Italy	1927	£3-4K	unsold
Br	10/2011	Vincenzo Sannino	Naples	1918	£18-25K	unsold
Br	06/2012	Vincenzo Sannino	Naples	1927	£18-25K	£38,400
S	10/2011	Vincenzo Sannino	Rome	c1930	£30-40K	£43,250
Br	10/2012	Stefano Scarampella	Mantua	1896	£60-80K	unsold
T	11/2011	Scarampella Workshop	Mantua	1921		$30,000
S	10/2011	Lucien Schmidt	Grenoble	1938	£3-5K	unsold
T	03/2012	Iginio Sderci	Florence	1939	£20-30K	£27,600
T	06/2011	Iginio Sderci	Florence	1948	£10-15K	£12,000
T	06/2011	Iginio Sderci	Florence	1951	£10-15K	£9,500
S	10/2011	Iginio Sderci	Florence	1976	£8-12K	£10,000
Br	10/2012	Sanctus Serafin	Venice	c1730	£70-100K	£90,000
S	10/2011	Paul Serdet	Paris	1912	£6-8K	£6,875
Br	10/2012	Gaetano Sgarabotto	Parma	1931	£5-7K	£7,200
Br	06/2011	Pietro Sgarabotto	Parma	1949	£30-40K	unsold
T	10/2011	Pietro Sgarabotto	Parma	1949	£18-25K	£22,000
S	10/2011	Pietro Sgarabotto	Cremona	1960	£20-30K	unsold
Br	06/2011	Giuseppe Sgarbi	Rome	1885	£8-12K	£7,000
Br	03/2012	Etorre Siega	Venice	1914	£2-4K	£4,560
R	2011	Etorre Siega				£18,000
Br	03/2012	Hippolyte Chretien Silvestre	Paris	1889	£5-7K	£9,000
R	2011	Hippolyte Chretien Silvestre		1889		£22,000
Bo	10/2011	Hippolyte Chretien Silvestre	Paris	1898	£8-12K	£15,000
S	10/2011	Pierre Silvestre	Lyon	1846	£18-25K	£49,250
T	10/2011	Pierre & Hippolyte Silvestre	Lyon	1834	£4-6K	£4,000
Br	10/2012	Silvestre & Maucotel	Paris	1900	£5-7K	£5,400
T	10/2011	Amadeo Simonazzi	Reggio Emelia	1946	£15-22K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Andrew Smillie & Son	Glasgow	1907	£2.5-3.5K	£3,125
T	06/2011	Ettore Soffriti	Ferrara	c1892	£15-22K	unsold
T	03/2011	Ettore Soffriti	Ferrara	1920	£30-50K	£36,000
T	10/2011	Rumen Spirov	Kazanlak	2010	£2-3K	£2,750
T	03/2012	Rumen Spirov	Kazanlak	2011	£1.2-1.8K	£2,040
R	2011	George Stoppani	Manchester	2010		£10,000
T	04/2012	Lorenzo Storioni	Cremona	1792	$280-350K	$413,600
T	04/2012	Antonio Stradivari	Cremona	c1705		$2.48M
S	10/2011	Giuseppe Tarasconi	Milan	c1900	£20-30K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Giuseppe Tarasconi	Saronno	c1900	£20-30K	£26,400
Br	10/2012	Giovanni Tedesco	Naples	1909	£7-10K	unsold
T	10/2012	Claudio Testoni	Mantova	2011	£5-8K	unsold
T	06/2011	Paolo Antonio Testore	Milan	c1740	£50-80K	unsold
Bo	03/2012	Pierre Thibout	Paris	c1840	£6-8K	£6,975
Br	03/2011	Charles & Samuel Thompson	London	1772	£3-5K	unsold
Br	10/2011	Carlo Tononi	Bologna	c1718	£90-120K	unsold
GH	03/2011	Rudolfo Tramonti	Forli		£6-8K	£5,800
T	06/2011	Nicola Utili	Castel Bolognese	1932	£5-8K	unsold
T	03/2011	Giovanni Valenzano	Valenza	1821	£10-15K	£22,800
T	03/2012	Gyula Varady	Budapest	1920	£4-6K	unsold
T	06/2011	Ferrucio Varagnolo	Milan	1904	£11-15K	£12,000
GH	10/2012	Alfons Vavra	Prague	1952	£2-3K	unsold
Br	03/2012	Lorenzo Ventapane	Naples	1828	£50-70K	£60,000
Br	03/2011	Lorenzo Ventapane	Naples		£18-25K	£14,000
Br	03/2011	Pasquale Ventapane	Naples	1840	£10-15K	£10,000
Br	12/2012	Dario Verne	Turin	1982	£3-5K	unsold
Bo	10/2011	Alfred Vidoudez	Geneva	1924	£5-7K	£5,750
Br	03/2012	Gennaro Vinaccia	Naples	1780	£60-70K	£72,000
Bo	03/2011	Alfred Vincent	London	1926	£3-4K	£4,000
GH	10/2011	Arnold Voigt	Markneukirchen		£800-1.2K	£950
Br	03/2011	Voller Bros	London	1900	£12-18K	£17,000
GH	03/2011	Chipot Vuillaume	Mirecourt		£800-1.2K	£800
T	10/2012	Jean-Baptiste Vuilaume	Paris	c1830	£70-100K	unsold
T	10/2011	Jean Baptiste Vuillaume	Paris	1829	£75-100K	£95,000
S	10/2011	Jean Baptiste Vuillaume	Paris	c1845	£65-75K	£103,250
S	03/2012	Jean Baptiste Vuillaume	Paris	1845	£80-120K	£133,250
T	03/2012	Jean Baptiste Vuillaume	Paris	1873	£70-100K	£84,000
T	10/2012	Nicolas Vuillaume	Brussels	1871	£10-15K	£13,200
Br	10/2012	Nicholas Vuillaume	Mirecourt	c1870	£8-12K	9,000
Bo	03/2012	Nicolas François Vuillaume	Brussels	1833	£8-12K	£10,000
Br	03/2012	Nicolas François Vuillaume	Brussels	1844	£15-18K	unsold
GH	10/2011	Frank Watson	Rochdale	1900	£800-1K	£800
T	03/2011	Emmanuel Whitmarsh	London	1910	£1.5-2.2K	unsold
T	03/2011	Leopold Widhalm	Nürnberg	1775	£10-15K	withdrawn
Bo	10/2012	John Wilkinson	London	c1935	£3-4K	£4,750
Bo	10/2011	John Wilkinson	London	c1935	£5-6K	unsold
T	10/2012	George Wulme-Hudson	London	c1930	£9-13K	£10,800
T	10/2012	Francesco Zanoli	Nonantola	1987	£2-3K	£1,800
T	10/2012	Francesco Zanoli	Nonantola	1988	£1.5-2.2K	£1,440
T	03/2012	Francesco Zanoli	Nonantola	1982	£1.8-2.5K	£2,160
T	06/2011	Bruno Zobboli	Pieve di Cento	2001	£1-2.5K	£1,900

Criteria for Violin Tone Evaluations

I have to point out that many of the instruments one meets in auction rooms are poorly set up, the strings can be old, and sometimes there are other problems. But I take these factors into account – I make a judgment about how far off its ideal set-up any particular instrument might be. And if the set-up looks good, I assume that minor changes won’t essentially alter its character.

I try to play the instruments before looking at the label, the catalogue, or the estimate, so that I’m not prejudiced by the price tag – sometimes this isn’t possible (for instance Tarisio arranges its instruments according to value), but often I have a friend or colleague who holds the catalogue and keeps that information to him/herself!

I should also point out that my idea of good tone is subjective, but I do have consistent criteria and they are by and large the same as any professional player's. A great violin is one you find yourself making great music on!

I suppose the constituent parts are generally (and not in order of importance):

• The absence of irregularity or nasty artefacts that have to be played around
• Complexity and abundance of good high harmonics throughout the register (often discussed in terms of projection)
• Volume in all parts of the register
• Sustain or continuity of response
• Plenty of information making its way to the player's body (resonance)

With a good violin the tone doesn't seem to come from anywhere in particular, you feel yourself to be part of it and it to be part of you, and the sound occupies the space you're playing in. I'd say the greatest testament to a good violin is that you forget about it – same with bows. With both violins and bows, a good tool immediately opens up the possibility of better musical ideas & forms of expression. I suppose this comes down to a general rather nebulous quality of "responsiveness".

As for determining whether one instrument is superior to another, it comes down to the quality of relaxation I experience when playing the instrument. The more relaxed you feel, the more you can communicate.

I confess to some idiosyncrasies - I'm not overly bothered about sonorous G strings, I like very loud violins, and I'm very fond of new violins.

Most experienced players with some technique share these ideas/ideals. Learners have a rather different agenda, as good articulate response is often the last thing they want!

Here's a really good account of tone/playability by someone who's handled a lot of the best instruments in the world, Michael Darnton. He seems to define it in exactly the way I do, though he claims only early Cremonese violins have these qualities!

"Great violins ...

• Respond instantly. Each note starts quickly and cleanly, without any initial noise at all (not even an icy harshness), with almost an initial pop. In quick passages each note stands out individually, not smeared into the others, even in slurred passages. It's difficult or nearly impossible to make a bad attack – what you hear in the audience is an unusual cleanliness to the beginning of each note and separation from the previous one (which stops sounding instantly without lingering into the next note), and that's something that's particularly easy for a listener to catch, once you tune your ear to it. It's also a major contributor to higher playing quality in a player, since he doesn't have to spend energy making sure all his attacks are just right to compensate for the violin's own lack of good temper. When I was selling violins on a daily basis players would use the same several pieces for testing, and I grew accustomed to internally cringing in anticipation of several specific notes in each piece that seemed universally difficult to execute cleanly and beautifully. Not a problem for a great violin, though, which would sail through those notes perfectly. (One of the problems with listening tests is that a good player will automatically compensate for those notes, which are the same ones every time, and you'll never know how bad a violin really is – that's why someone like Kreisler could play on anything and make it sound great.)
• Lack dissonance. Every note is clear and clean, internally (the harmonics) in tune and smooth, without anything dirty or extraneous. That's also something listeners can pick up, though it's harder – it's a little like hearing an in-tune piano vs an out-of-tune one (where one of each of the three strings that make a note is slightly out), but much less obvious.
• Have presence. This is the hardest thing to hear. It expresses itself in the violin "appearing" to the ear to take up a lot of stage territory, and it can be slightly difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the violin. A side component of this is a particularly enveloping beauty of tone that's very subtle and difficult to characterize. I have heard a lot of nice violins, but I have *never* heard a violin that wasn't Cremonese that did this last thing, and this is also the most difficult aspect to hear.
• Can be heard. This is not ear-painful volume, which may or may not carry; it's genuine carrying power: the ability to stand out against a number of other instruments. Generally raw, dissonant, or bright violins may appear to have more volume, but against other instruments, tonal purity and higher output in a particular small band of harmonics around 2500hz wins, even though the violin may see inadequate or even veiled on its own. I don't much like listening to recordings of violins for the purpose of listening to the violin itself. I rarely get an impression from a recording that's even vaguely similar to the real thing."
  Michael Darnton, originally posted on a Maestronet forum.