Amati

The Amati Cremona were a dynasty of violin makers with possibly German roots that can be traced back to 1097.

Between 1520 and 1740 survived the Five Great Amati who founded the reputation as a violin Cremona city:

• With Andrea Amati (1525-1577), the luthier tradition of Amati began. He used wood more valuable than it had hitherto been customary for the instrument and changed the top gamba shape, ähnelndem to one of today's violin shape model.
• His sons Antonio Amati (1560-1649) and Girolamo Amati ( 1555 to around 1630 ) referred to as brothers Amati, constructed the first violins in good quality.
• Nicola Amati (1596-1684), a son of Hieronymus Amati, was the most prominent representative of the dynasty. He may have been a teacher of Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri, who founded their own luthier families.
• Girolamo ( II ) Amati ( 1649-1740 ) was a son of Nicola Amati. He stands in spite of important works in the shadow of his classmate Antonio Stradivari.
• Amati Denak is a leading Czech manufacturers of musical instruments (primarily wood and brass instruments ) in Kraslice ( German: Graslitz ) close to the German border and the Vogtland music angle. Early instruments factory carry only the word " Amati ", then later " Amati Kraslice "