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Re: Stradivari & Denner

Author: gwie
Date: 2016-08-27 21:17

The cost of antique stringed instruments is astronomical these days.

That being said, many folks play on instruments built by contemporary makers that are exceptionally made and are the equal of any instrument, old or new. The reality is that most people can't tell the difference between old and new instruments of exceptional quality in a performance setting. There are even a number of soloists who commissioned copies of their rare Strads and Guarneris from top makers in order to give their fragile antiques respite from punishing performance schedules, and audiences don't notice the difference. Personally, I have lots of colleagues who pursue full-time playing careers on violins in the $15,000-$35,000 range from living makers.

Of course, then there are the bows...another market that has seen huge leaps in value. In the short term, old French bows seem like a good investment.