Ming Jiang Zhu Core Select Guarneri

CS2900G

Core Select Violin

Some violins sell themselves with little effort: put in customer’s hands, test-play, and sold! The skillful workmanship, and tasteful antiquing of the CS2900 model, bring to life carefully seasoned tonewoods for a dynamic sound with fullness and depth. Made by the workshop of VSA Gold Medal winner Ming Jiang Zhu, the training and craftsmanship are world-class, using classical European techniques. The Guarneri pattern gives the G-string extra power, and extra tonal dimensions throughout the registers. Boxwood fittings with Guarneri model chinrest and Aubert Mirecourt bridge. Pirastro Evah Pirazzi strings (loop end E). 4/4 only.

The most illustrious member of the house of Guarneri, Bartolomeo was the son of Giuseppe Giovanni Battista , thus the grandson of Andrea Guarneri, both noted violin makers themselves. Andrea learned his trade as an apprentice of Niccolo Amati , to whom Stradivari was also apprenticed. Undoubtedly, Giuseppe learned the craft of violinmaking in his father’s shop.

Giuseppe Guarneri’s style has been widely copied by luthiers since the 19th century. Guarneri’s career is a great contrast to that of Stradivari, who was stylistically consistent, very careful about craftsmanship and finish, and evolved the design of his instruments in a deliberate way over seven decades. Guarneri’s career was short, from the late 1720s until his death in 1744. Initially he was thought to be a man of restless creativity, judging by his constant experimentation with f-holes, arching, thicknesses of the top and back and other design details.

Guarneri’s work is quick and accurate, although he was not obsessed with quality of finish. However, from the late 1730s until his death, his work shows increasing haste and lack of patience with the time needed to achieve a high quality finish. Some of his late violins from circa 1742 to 1744 have scrolls that can be crudely carved, the purfling hastily inserted, the f-holes unsymmetrical and jagged.