Niccolò Amati was an Italian luthier in Cremona. The founder of the Cremona school was Andrea Amati (c.1520–c.1578), whose earliest violins date from c. 1564. His labels bore the name Amadus, and he is credited with the basic design of the modern violin. His sons were Antonio Amati and Girolamo or Geronimo Amati, who worked together and followed closely their father’s patterns in making violins of graceful shape and sweet tone. Wikipedia
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