The question regarding the precise number of instruments Stradivari produced during his long and successful career has always been a particularly difficult one to answer, even for the most distinguished experts. The Hill Brothers were among the first to attempt the trick and tried to provide a reasonable figure. Nevertheless, as they themselves admitted, the result could only be considered partial: ‘With a view to obtain a fairly complete list of Stradivari’s existing violins, violas, and violoncellos, we have left no stone unturned which might aid us in arriving at a correct estimate: books, old papers, and catalogues have been consulted; we have gone to every source likely to prove useful.
More information: Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 2, Page 316