Is there a register of Stradivarius violins?

Answer 1

A list of known Stradivari violins may be found on Wikipedia. A more complete version is at cozio.com

If you have an instrument which says "Stradivarius" on a label inside, it is most likely fake. Any Stradivarius instrument, real or fake, will have the label "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno (date made)". Thousands of instruments have a "Stradivarius" label, and were made (cheaply) beginning in the late 19th century. There are around estimated 650 Stradivarius violins left.

In the very highly unlikely event that you may have found an authentic Stradivarius violin, the best thing to do would be to take it to an instrument appraiser. Many instrument shops will be able to do this, and can be found in your local phone book. An appraiser will then be able to give you any further information. You may also wish to try checking with www.Cozio.com, or The International Violin Registry at www.geocities.com/violin.registry/ or www.Tarisio.com.

Answer 2

There no collecters, there are owners. one should be so lucky as to own just one. Read the history of Stradivarius and you will understand. It's not as simple as stated above! Antonio Stradivari's instruments became famous during his lifetime, as have many other "modern" violins have become famous in their maker's lifetime. Because of this, Stradivari's instruments were coveted by many people, especially professional violinists and the wealthy who appreciated them. Some of the wealthiest collectors even owned several fine examples by the same maker at the same time. It is important to know that not all of the old master's instruments have been 'accounted for'. Some were destroyed through various accidents, wars, or some other calamity. Some have even been stolen and never seen since: but a few have been recovered in a short time and even fewer - after several decades of invisibility. Also, if you ever hear someone say they have a Stradivarius, it's probably a less than equal copy that says "copy of Stradivarius" inside the body.