Giovanni Paolo Maggini

Giovanni Paolo Maggini (c. 1580 - c. 1630), was a luthier born in Botticino Italy. Maggini was a pupil of another important violin maker of the Brescian school, Gasparo da Salò.

Maggini's early instruments are considered less desirable because of their naive craftsmanship. They tended to be modified copies of his teacher's instruments. But once established on his own around the year 1606, Maggini developed his skills and experimented with his designs until he achieved a level of expertise that is still highly regarded. [cite web|url=http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/violmagg.htm|title=Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Smithsonian Institute|accessdate=2006-11-01]
Only known pupil of Maggini is Valentino Siani, who worked with him c.1610-1620, before he moved to Florence and started his own business.

Maggini succumbed to the bubonic plague of 1630-31 that also took another important early luthier, Girolamo Amati. This fact arouses suspicions that some of Maggini's later works are perhaps creations from a different maker since tests reveal that some instruments bearing a genuine Maggini label are from trees living after Maggini's death. [cite web|url=http://www.cozio.com/Luthier.aspx?id=5|title=Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Cozio.com|accessdate=2006-11-01]

The National Music Museum has two Maggini instruments in its collection. One is a bass viola da gamba. The other is a violin. Both predate his death. [cite web|url=http://www.usd.edu/smm/bowstg.html#3365|title=Bowed Stringed Instruments Made Before 1800 at the National Music Museum|last=University of South Dakota|accessdate=2006-11-01]

A genuine Maggini violin ranges in value from $200,000 to $2,000,000. [cite web|url=http://www.maestronet.com/history/instruments.cfm?ID=1&first_name=Giovanni&middle_name=Paolo&last_name=Maggini|title=Instrument Price History for Giovanni Paolo Maggini|last=Maestronet|accessdate=2006-11-01]

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