Stradivarius 'Forma B' 1712 'Davidov' Cello

The forma Buono or forma B was so named by stradivarius himself as the "the good model". This is the most famous and commonly seen model of a cello. Charles Beare, the famous violin expert, said the following about the design:

"The 'Gore-Booth' cello of 1710 introduces the shape which Stradivari called 'forma B' and which has come to be regarded as the perfect design for the instrument. Twenty examples only of 'forma b' have survived, and most are famous instruments, indeed one or other of them has served as the model for every successful violin maker of the last two hundred years. As well as Rocco Fillipini, who is the present owner of the 'Gore-Booth', Mstislav Rostropovich and Yo Yo Ma are among the artists currently using a cello of this ideal pattern, which seems to embody the perfect combination of powerful sound, easy response of tone and manageable dimensions."

Each model is built according to the classical Italian method of violin making which uses an inside mold.

The top is made from German Silver Spruce which has been air dried for at least twenty five years. Well aged, The back, ribs, neck, and scroll are made from flamed Maple which has been air dried for an equal period of time. Historically, many of the Stradivarius model cellos are built with Poplar for the back, Maple for the ribs, and Beech or Cherry for the scroll.

Poplar gives the cello a dark, woodier sound as opposed to Maple which has a brighter bell like quality.

The pictures shown here are on an original Davidov cello, not one made by the luthiers bench

1712 'Davidov' Cello

Specifications stradivarius 1712 'Davidov' Cello

Measurements (all in millimeters and taken with a calliper, i.e. straight, not over the arch)

The following measurements reflect the present day setup of the instrument and may not have been the original settings.

Available colors

(colors can also be mixed to create other colors)

Amber	Brown	Dark Brown	Golden Brown
Golden yellow	Red Brown	Red	yellow