who is regarded as the finest stringed instrument builder of all time
Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari Italian pronunciation: [anˈtɔːnjo stradiˈvaːri]; (1644 – December 18, 1737) was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps.[1] Stradivari is generally considered the most significant and greatest artisan in this field. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial "Strad" are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, 960 of which were violins. Around 650 instruments survived, including 450 to 512 violins.