July 2025
£5.95We examine the 1730 ‘Farina’ cello by Montagnana, and pay tribute to instrument expert Charles Beare, who died in April. There’s a look at adventurous US string quartets and an interview with British violinist–composer Adam Summerhayes. Plus a Dvořák Masterclass with Camden Shaw of the Dover Quartet.
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January 2025
£5.95We celebrate the life of cellist Jacqueline du Pré on what would have been her 80th birthday. There’s a look at tonewoods from South Africa, how to rectify wolf tones, and Daniel Hope reveals his Life Lessons. Plus Paul Huang gives a Masterclass on Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.
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January 2024
£5.95We examine the 1713 ‘Boissier, Sarasate’ violin by Antonio Stradivari and chat to young virtuoso cellist Zlatomir Fung. There’s a look at how Maud Powell championed the Sibelius Violin Concerto in the US, and Carolin Widmann reveals her Life Lessons. Plus a Mozart Masterclass with Dmitry Sitkovetsky
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Archinto’ viola 1696 poster
£22.95By popular demand, The Strad is republishing one of its most sought-after posters – the 1696 ‘Archinto’ Stradivari viola – with brand new photography that brings out the colours and craftsmanship like never before. One of the treasures of London’s Royal Academy of Music, the ‘Archinto’ provides a model for luthiers to admire and copy even in the 21st century.
‘The 1696 Stradivari ‘Archinto’ viola is one of the most beautiful instruments in the world. It was made at a very felicitous time, just as the great master’s red varnish was reaching perfection and his designs — encapsulated in the gorgeous long pattern violins — were at their most elegant… The tone is archetypal Stradivari; clear and pure across all the strings, with a quick response and good articulation. In the hands of a great player it provides a wide range of tone colour. In contrast to the typically Brescian sound, it is more violin-like in quality and reveals a slight lack of potency in the lowest string.’ – John Dilworth in the June 1996 issue
Includes measurements, thickness and arching maps.
Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
Antonio Stradivari ‘Saveuse’ cello 1726 poster
£22.95The 1726 ‘Saveuse’ is one of the smallest cellos ever to come out of Antonio Stradivari’s workshop. From the beautifully carved scroll to the smouldering, rich maroon colour of the varnish, the instrument displays the finest characteristics of the luthier’s late period. It remains in almost perfect condition and provides a fascinating insight into the mind of Stradivari the innovator. This poster will be an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn from the master.
Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
Antonio Stradivari ‘Boissier, Sarasate’ Violin 1713 poster – FOLDED VERSION
£14.95FOLDED VERSION
Made during Antonio’s Stradivari’s so-called ‘golden period’, the 1713 ‘Boissier, Sarasate’ is in an excellent state of preservation. Housed in the museum of the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, it has rarely been played since it was left to the conservatoire by its last owner, the Spanish virtuoso Pablo Sarasate. This poster includes full outlines and measurements taken from a state-of-the-art 3D scan of the instrument.
‘The surface retains a very good amount of varnish. It is remarkable that it has not been ‘protected’ with a layer of French polish, making it ever more outstanding and appreciated in today’s shop standards. The colour of the varnish is a light reddish-brown over Stradivari’s wonderful golden ground.’ – Roberto Jardón Rico in the January 2024 issue of The Strad
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
The Strad Masterclass: Solo Violin
£15.00James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, Leonidas Kavakos, Maxim Vengerov, Nikolaj Znaider: some of the violin world’s top names have given their thoughts on key works of string repertoire within The Strad’s pages. Now, for the first time, Masterclass: Solo Violin brings together articles from the magazine’s popular Masterclass section over the past nine years.
June 2024
£5.95Cellist Laura van der Heijden discusses her new album of concertos and we celebrate three decades of the Henschel Quartet. There’s a look at piano trios and a guide to good customer relations in a violin shop. Plus Jennifer Koh’s Life Lessons and our annual Accessories guide.
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In Focus 2
£40.00The Strad ’s second compilation of fascinating articles, written within the last 5 years, brings together fine instruments by some of the world’s greatest instrument experts. In this new anthology, every instrument has been given three pages to include more close-up photographs, archings, angles and tiny details.
October 2024
£5.95The current members of the Takács Quartet discuss the group’s 50th anniversary and we ask whether it’s possible to teach yourself the violin. French violinist Régis Pasquier shares some stories from his long career and we examine the career of luthier Amedeo Simonazzi. Plus interviews with Alexander Baillie, Matthew Barley and Alexander Sitkovetsky.
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Violin Varnish
£45.00Notes and articles from the workshop of Koen Padding. Edited by Helen Michetschläger.
In Focus
£40.00For a limited time only, The Strad is issuing the first in the In Focus series with a beautiful, new limited edition cover.
This collection of articles from The Strad’s long-running In Focus series brings together more than 80 fascinating stringed instruments, with commentaries by some of today’s top instrument experts.
Makers include Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ and G.B. Guadagnini, but also lesser-known masters such as Paul Knorr, Dante Baldoni, Charles Nicolas Altermatt and many others. This makes it an essential resource for anyone seeking to extend their lutherie knowledge into areas and makers whose work is more rare, and a significant addition to the lutherie literature.
In Focus features exceptional high-quality photographs for every featured instrument – front, back and scroll – this book will provide inspiration for today’s makers and anyone who enjoys the beauty and variety of stringed instruments.
March 2024
£5.95We talk to superstar violinist Augustin Hadelich and explore the life of composer Pierre Rode. Cellist Laurence Lesser looks back on his six-decade career and there’s a Masterclass on Ravel’s Violin Sonata no.2. Plus a look at setting up a double bass, and Gidon Kremer reveals his Sentimental Work.
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Titian’ violin 1715 poster
£22.95The ‘Titian’ Stradivari of 1715 has long been counted among the finest violins of the maker’s golden period. It has revealed itself to be a formidable concert instrument of unusual power and scope, remarkable for its focus and resilience under the bow. The violin was dubbed ‘Titian’ by the French dealer Albert Caressa because of its clear orange–red colour, which reminded him of the work of the famous Venetian painter. Includes photographs, scans and measurements.
‘On first look, the violin seems strong and solid, with its smoothly worn patina, sturdy arching and edgework, and immaculate finishing with virtually no visible trace of the hand – all is pure architecture, with the execution almost completely subsumed. The patina shows careful use, with the edges rounded and the varnish smoothed to a luminous film.’ – Sam Zygmuntowicz in the February 2009 issue of The Strad
Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
December 2023
£5.95We talk to US violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and investigate the lives of two Italian luthiers: Filippo de Filippi and Luigi Mozzani. There’s an in-depth look at Telemann and we look at techniques to play more effortlessly. Plus a Dvořák Masterclass with cellist Hannah Roberts.
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Antonio Stradivari ‘Huberman’ violin 1713 poster
£22.95This stunning instrument from Stradivari’s golden period has sleek, taut arching, lithe and slender corners, and a bubbled texture to the plum-red varnish. It was played by Bronislaw Huberman until 1936 until it was notoriously stolen from his dressing room at Carnegie Hall. Fifty years later it was recovered, and is now the property of US soloist Joshua Bell. Includes scans and measurements.
‘The scroll is made of typical fine-grained maple, with only minimal figure, allowing for very fluid carving. The profile is sleek, with a graceful oval head, slender pegbox, and narrow throat, echoed in the tight cutting into the eye’ – Sam Zygmuntowicz in the November 2013 issue of The Strad
Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
September 2023
£5.95In an education special, we talk to violinist Randall Goosby and explore strategies to help adult learners on the cello. There’s a look at training a lutherie apprentice, and what conservatoires are doing to safeguard students’ mental health. Plus interviews with Hilary Hahn, Ronald Copes and Eldbjørg Hemsing.
Read more in The Strad
March 2022
£5.95Leonidas Kavakos discusses his new Bach recording and we find out why some orchestras have dispensed with conductors. There’s a look at Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s string music and luthiers recall their earliest experiences in the violin business. Plus Jennifer Pike chooses her Sentimental Work
Nicolò Amati ‘Romanov’ Viola 1677 Poster
£22.95The 1677 ‘Romanov’ was made when Nicolò Amati was 81 years old and clearly shows the hand of the master, along with that of his son, Girolamo Amati II. It has been part of the collections of the Venetian nobility and Russian imperial dynasty, and was for many years the concert instrument of Max Aronoff, violinist with the Curtis Quartet.
‘This is only the third poster of a Nicolò Amati instrument in The Strad’s history – perhaps surprising given the maker’s significance to the world of violin making. Nicolò’s violins have been overshadowed by the great works of Stradivari, Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ and Guadagnini which are generally better for large concert halls: as a consequence, contemporary makers seldom choose Nicolò Amati models for their violins (unless making a Baroque instrument specifically). When it comes to violas, however, there is a different trend: when I was a judge at the 2018 Cremona Triennale it was a nice surprise for me to see how many violas were based on Amati models.
‘When using a Stradivari violin pattern it’s important to respect the original design. It is not advisable to make significant changes to the proportions to a mould that is apparently perfect: you cannot mess up with a Strad model. For viola making, a Nicolò Amati model can be modified much more successfully without losing its original spirit and balance: the relationship between the f-holes and the central body, for instance, can be more easily modified when resizing the instrument. For this reason, it makes sense to publish a poster of a resized large viola; and given that digital technologies are now available to everyone, makers will be able to adjust the model according to their own needs and personal solutions.
‘The good side of viola making is that there is still a great deal to be learnt in terms of sound research, and that it gives makers a chance to develop their own style while respecting the classical roots of our tradition.’
– Alberto Giordano in The Strad’s December 2019 edition
Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
***Don’t miss our NEW Folded Poster Tailored Bundle. Choose any two or more of The Strad’s folded posters and pay just £9.99 for each. Watch a video of the selection here***
BUNDLE – The Best of Trade Secrets 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Original price was: £164.85.£140.00Current price is: £140.00.Bundle contains:
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1 x The Best of Trade Secrets
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1 x The Best of Trade Secrets 2
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1 x The Best of Trade Secrets 3
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1 x The Best of Trade Secrets 4
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1 x The Best of Trade Secrets 5
‘Schneider’ Gofriller cello 1693 poster
£22.95Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
‘Kreisler’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ violin 1733 poster
£22.95Our posters are shipped separately from other products. One tube can hold up to 10 posters. Save on postage costs by purchasing up to 10 posters per tube today.
February 2024
£5.95We talk to British violist Timothy Ridout and learn about the history of violin making in Schönbach. Philippe Graffin talks about the discovery of a ‘lost’ work by Ysaÿe and we examine what might be the last violin ever made by Guadagnini. Plus a Brahms Masterclass with Daniel Kurganov.
Read more in The Strad
