Giovanni Grancino (1637-1709) was the son Andrea Grancino, who may also have been a violin maker, and may have worked with a brother, Francesco.^[1]

Grancino was one of the early Milanese luthiers. His workshops were all located on one street (Contrada Larga, now Via Larga). His instruments share a characteristic mark of the crown (il segno della corona).^[2] A luthier is someone who builds or repairs stringed instruments, ranging from guitars to violins. ...

Although the luthiers of Milan created instruments of varying quality, Grancino's violins, violas and cellos were considered superior. Grancino used a varnish which was a finely textured clear yellow to pale brown color. Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese: Milán (listen)) is the main city of northern Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a fifth apart. ... Alternate uses: Viola (disambiguation) The viola is a stringed musical instrument which serves as the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello and double bass. ... Alternate meaning: Cello web browser A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) is a stringed instrument and part of the violin family. ... Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. ...

Grancino's early instrument patterns and designs were influenced by Nicolò Amati, whose impressive works influenced many italian luthiers of the period. However, Grancino's later efforts show the flatter arching and narrower influence of Stradivari. Grancino's cellos tend to be larger, yet with a clear sound indicative of the italian luthiers.^[3] Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin-makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1550 to 1740. ... Antonio Stradivari (1644? - December 18, 1737) was an Italian luthier (maker of violins and other stringed instruments), the most prominent member of that profession. ...

Grancino's was succeded by members of the Testore family, the eldest of whom, Carlo Giuseppe Testore created a violin for Grancino that is housed in the National Music Museum.^[4] Carlo Giuseppe Testore (c 1665-1716) was a Luthier, noted in particular for his double basses. ... The National Music Museum, Americas Shrine to Music, is a music-oriented museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, USA. It was founded in 1973 on the campus of the University of South Dakota, as the National Music Museum & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments. ...

References

1. ^ Bartruff, William (2006). The History of the Violin. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
2. ^ Kulik, Alexander (2001). Journey into the year 1710, a Grancino Cello reveals its secrets. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
3. ^ Cello Heaven (2006). Famous Early Italian Makers of Cellos. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
4. ^ University of South Dakota (2006). Bowed Stringed Instruments Made Before 1800 at the National Music Museum. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.