When's an X guitar no longer an X?

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Telekat 100

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I know we've discussed whether modifying a Telecaster means it's no longer true to type or even still truly a Fender Telecaster. But I was reading about the only playable guitar built by Antonio Stradivari in 1679.

It seems it's been modified by more than a little.

So my question would be, in your eyes is this a Stradivarius or a Parts-ivarius and where do you draw the line?

As with all Stradivari instruments, the ‘Sabionari’ was modernised. In the early 19th century in Ferrara, it was converted to a six-string guitar by the Italian Giuseppe Marconcini, who changed the neck, peghead and bridge, and added new linings and braces. The original nameplate was saved and refitted. After 150 years the new neck and peghead were infested by woodworm but surprisingly – possibly from some kind of wood treatment, the insects spared the original soundboard and bracing wood by Stradivari.

The restoration in 2011, by Sinier de Ridder in France, did not involve opening the body. But Marconcini’s neck and peghead were replaced with new parts mounted on the original nails, matching the original diapason of 74cm. A new bridge, rosette and moustaches copied from the ‘Hill’ and ‘Giustiniani’ Stradivari guitars were added; two of the tuning pegs were original. The rosette was crafted by the Milanese artisan Elena Dal Cortivo.
 

Pcs264

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Stradivari’s instruments (and most of the other fine builders’ instruments from the Cremona region) were built with and for gut strings with copper or silver windings. They were of course very fine instruments, widely used, and as string technology & materials evolved (always toward higher tension & more volume) almost all of these great instruments had their necks replaced and bracing altered by the late 1700s to early 1800s. They still are among the greatest violins, violas & cellos ever made, though almost all of them have had what we would consider major modifications. The stringed instrument world still calls them “Stradivari”, “Guarneri”, “Amati”, etc.
 
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