The Rawlins Stradivarius
The Rawlins Stradivarius is an antique guitar crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1700. It is one of only four surviving guitars made by the Italian luthier.[1] The Rawlins was purchased by the National Music Museum in South Dakota from violinist Louis Krasner in 1985. Krasner had purchased it in 1934 through a dealer in London.[2]
Design[edit]
The curator of stringed instruments at the National Music Museum notes that most Italian Baroque guitars from that period were more ornate than the Stradivari guitars: "Stradivari was probably the first maker to highlight the natural beauty of the wood on a guitar. He used a spruce top and beautiful violin-style figured maple for the back and sides instead of ebony or the other tropical hardwoods that were commonly used at the time." It has a rosette design with decorative mother of pearl inlay.[3]
The guitar has a 29-inch scale length, which is a long scale length. Some have speculated that it might sound similar to a baritone guitar.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Guitar, The Rawlins, 1700". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ Page, Tim (30 January 1986). "South Dakota Museum Gets Stradivari Guitar". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Super Strad: The Rawlins Guitar, Made by Antonio Stradivari in 1700". Guitar Player. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2019.