Antiqued & À l'Ancienne Instrument Makers.

Antiquing is a discipline of its own: shading, wear patterns, varnish texture and edgework applied so a new instrument reads as an old one without looking faked. Done well it is a craft; done badly it is decoration. The makers here work in the à l'ancienne tradition, most often on Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù models.

Players choose antiqued instruments for the varnish and the visual warmth, but the reason to buy one is still the sound — always try before you commit, and ask the maker what the antiquing did and did not change.