What is a Laurentius storioni g fecit cremona 1720 violin worth?

Answer 1

That depends on a number of factors.

1. The instrument may indeed have been made in 1720, or it could be a repleca of an instrument made in 1720 (which is far more likely) and in such a case, the value may not be as great as you might expect.

2. The quality of the instrument's craftsmanship goes a long way towards its end value. If it was hand made, that's a plus. If it was made by a reputable maker, that's even better.

3. The actual age of the instrument. The older the violin, the more it is worth, typically.

4. The current condition of the instrument plays a huge role in value as well. If you have a cracked back or face, or if the seams are opening up or if the fingerboard is cracked or warn down the value drops significantly. One can drop a lot of money into repairing an instrument to playable status.

5. The quality of tone, resonance, and responsiveness that the player can get out of the instrument also plays a vital role in how much players are willing to pay for the instrument. And believe it or not, players will pay far more than collectors ever will... because it is their livelyhood.

The best way to determine the worth of an instrument is to take it to a reputable repair shop and have it apraized. If they tell you it's valuable, you can have it repaired and sold, or you can keep it for yourself. However, it's always good to have quality instruments be placed in the hands of someone who is capable of playing it to its full potential.

I did happen to find one instrument, a Laurentius Storioni fecit Cremonae 1790 Douglas Cox 2001 Brattleboro Vt #438 that was being sold for $16,000 USD from a dealer. The link is below:

Answer 2

inside the instument is printed "copy of violin made by Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis in year 1700". Rpaired in 1966.