Semantic Coherence: Amati Instruments Limited – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H3] Amati Affordable – 30th September

Catalogue launch: 18th Sept 2026

Auction Preview

[H3] Amati Specialist – 24th-25th June 2026

Catalogue launch: 12th June 2026

View Auction

[H6] A violin by Ansaldo Poggi, Bologna, 1958

Estimate: £60,000 – £80,000

[H6]

[H6]

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[H6] A viola by Bernard Simon Fendt Jnr, London, 1831

Estimate £4,000 – £8,000

[H6] A violin by Perry & Wilkinson, Dublin, circa 1844

Estimate: £2,000 – £4,000

[H6] A cello, Workshop of Derazey, Mirecourt, 19th Century

Estimate: £20,000 – £40,000

[H6] A violin by Valery Kagansky, New York, 2017

Estimate: £6,000 – £10,000

[H3] Amati Single Owner Collection – 29th July

Catalogue launch: 16th Jul 2026

Auction Preview

[H6] Fine Instrument Auctions

[H3] Trusted by collectors and musicians for generations

[H4] Auctions throughout the year

Amati is an auction house specialising in the sale of stringed musical instruments, specifically violins, violas, cellos, and bows.

[H4] Expansive range of instruments

Rather than focus on just the very high end of the market, Amati reaches across all sectors and over decades we have nurtured a very large and still growing, UK and international client base.

[H4] Online valuations

Amati also offers a range of valuation services online, in person at one of our valuation days or in the comfort of your own home.

[H6] Past Sales

[H2] We have an instrument for everyone

Amati sells a broad range of violins, violas, cellos and bows suitable for those just starting out to internationally recognised soloists.

[H2] £488,000*

[H4] A violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Turin, circa 1771

*Including premiums – Sold in our June 2023 Specialist auction

[H2] £62,300*

[H4] A violin by a member of the Rugeri family, Cremona, circa 1710

*Including premiums – Sold in our January 2024 Specialist auction

[H2] £73,200*

[H4] A violin by Marinus Capicchioni, Rimini, 1968

*Including premiums – Sold in our June 2023 Specialist auction

[H6] Types of auction

[H3] Affordable Auctions

Instruments ranging from £100+

More info

[H3] Specialist Auctions

Instruments ranging from £5,000+

More info

[H6] Auction Guides

[H3] Instrument auctions made easy

View All

[H6] Buying a violin at auction: advice for novices

[H6] Buying an instrument for your child

[H6] Buying a violin for investment

[H6] Why Should I Sell My Violin at Auction?

[H6] How can I sell my violin now?

[H6] Instrument Archive

[H2] Instrument price guide

[H5] Learn about instrument prices

30,000+ whole of market price records attributed to 13,000+ historical and contemporary makers.

[H5] Research makers

Access 1000’s of maker bios from industry leading authors.

[H5] Find comparable instruments

Search by maker, location, instrument and date range.

Find Instrument Prices

[H6] Instrument Valuations

[H3] Sell your instrument with Amati
We offer online form and video call valuations, along with home visits from our global experts.
Get a Valuation

[H4] Auctions at Amati

[H1] Buying at Auction

[H5] Amati sells violins, violas, cellos and bows for every budget and level of skill

[IMG: Test alt]

[H6] Buying at auction

[H2] Violins, violas, cellos and bows for every budget and level of skill.

Whether you’re looking for a child’s first violin to a fine instrument for a professional musician, our experienced and friendly team is at hand to help throughout the buying process.
Amati holds viewing days where you can examine and try out the instruments we have on offer. If you wish, you can discuss your individual instrument requirements with our specialists or register your interest in a particular sort of instrument with us.

View auctions

[H6] Amati auctions

[H3] Our Auction Platform
Browsing and bidding for instruments takes place on our Live Online Auction page on the Amati website.
View auctions

[H6] Past Sales

[H2] We have an instrument for everyone

Amati sells a broad range of violins, violas, cellos and bows suitable for those just starting out to internationally recognised soloists.

[H2] £488,000*

[H4] A violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Turin, circa 1771

*Including premiums – Sold in our June 2023 Specialist auction

[H2] £62,300*

[H4] A violin by a member of the Rugeri family, Cremona, circa 1710

*Including premiums – Sold in our January 2024 Specialist auction

[H2] £73,200*

[H4] A violin by Marinus Capicchioni, Rimini, 1968

*Including premiums – Sold in our June 2023 Specialist auction

[H2] Buying at Auction

Amati sells more instruments than any other auction house in the world. If you are looking for a violin, viola or cello, we can probably help.

[H5]
Auction viewing

Amati sells violins, violas, cellos and bows for every budget and level of skill, from a child’s first violin to the fine instruments of the professional musician. Our experienced and friendly team is at hand to help throughout the buying process.
Amati holds viewing days where you can examine and try out the instruments we have on offer. If you wish, you can discuss your individual instrument requirements with our specialists or register your interest in a particular sort of instrument with us.

[H5]
Registering to bid

To bid on any of the items (known as Lots) you wish to buy, you need to register as a buyer. We recommend that you register in good time (at least an hour before a lot is due to end), as your registration must be processed before any bids are accepted.
Register to bid.

[H5]
Placing bids

Once registered, you will be able to bid for items you want in Amati auctions. You can set your price by selecting a fixed increment from drop-down lists tailored to each lot. Bids can be placed from the time the live auction is published online until the auction closes. Each lot has a specific end time, as indicated by the ticking clock on each lot.
However, should bids be placed in the final 120 seconds, the end time will automatically extend by 5 minutes. This will continue to happen until there is just one bidder left, at which point bidding ceases on that lot.
If you wish, email notifications can sent be sent to you throughout the auction informing you of lots you have won or lots you’ve been outbid on.

[H5]
After the auction

Once the auction has finished, you will receive an email informing you if your bid was successful. An invoice will be emailed the day after the auction, or as soon as we have the shipping quotation. We will also include our commission (22% + VAT) on your final, successful bid (the hammer price).
A London collection day at The Langham Hotel is arranged after each auction. Lots for shipping are carefully packed in-house and collected by our shippers a fortnight after the auction end date.
Information on Amati Shipping

[H5]
The aftersales

Occasionally, not all the lots in an auction are sold. If this is the case, we hold bidding open for the unsold lots.
Emails are sent out to the registered bidders straight after the auction is closed. The email lists which lots did not sell and what their estimates were. If you wish to make an offer on any of the remaining lots, contact [email protected] as soon as you can.

[H6] Auction Guides

[H3] Instrument auctions made easy

View all

[H6] Buying a violin at auction: advice for novices

[H6] Buying an instrument for your child

[H6] Buying a violin for investment

[H6] Why Should I Sell My Violin at Auction?

[H6] How can I sell my violin now?

[H5] Words from our customers
Thank you very much for your part in arranging our instrument valuation with Simon in Colchester yesterday. The experience greatly exceeded our expectations in the level of individual attention we received and care that he took over explaining the finer details. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening session; please pass on our thanks to him again.
Elaine Henson and Stephen Mitchell

[H5] Words from our customers
It’s hard not to be pleased. Straight, clear information and regular updates. I give Charlott and James at Amati honours and my warmest recommendations.

[H5] Words from our customers
I took my violin and a couple of bows to be valued at The Amati Exhibition at The Langham. The service was absolutely excellent. I was also shown the collection of instruments being auctioned and James Buchanan and his colleagues imparted so much knowledge and were really helpful and very friendly. Highly recommended!

[H5] Words from our customers
I took my violin and a couple of bows to be valued at The Amati Exhibition at The Langham. The service was absolutely excellent. I was also shown the collection of instruments being auctioned and James Buchanan and his colleagues imparted so much knowledge and were really helpful and very friendly. Highly recommended!

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[H6] Our Auctions

[H3] Amati Affordable – 30th September

Catalogue launch: 18th Sept 2026

Auction Preview

[H3] Amati Specialist – 24th-25th June 2026

Catalogue launch: 12th June 2026

View Auction

[H6] A violin by Ansaldo Poggi, Bologna, 1958

Estimate: £60,000 – £80,000

[H6]

[H6]

[H6]

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[H6] A viola by Bernard Simon Fendt Jnr, London, 1831

Estimate £4,000 – £8,000

[H6] A violin by Perry & Wilkinson, Dublin, circa 1844

Estimate: £2,000 – £4,000

[H6] A cello, Workshop of Derazey, Mirecourt, 19th Century

Estimate: £20,000 – £40,000

[H6] A violin by Valery Kagansky, New York, 2017

Estimate: £6,000 – £10,000

[H3] Amati Single Owner Collection – 29th July

Catalogue launch: 16th Jul 2026

Auction Preview

[H6] Auctions at Amati

[H1] Selling at Auction

[H5] Trusted around the world and with eleven sales a year, Amati sells instruments at all price levels, from the student to the soloist.

[H6] Selling at auction

[H2] With auctions almost every month, Amati is well-placed to help you sell your instrument.

Sometimes instruments and bows require closer inspection in order to establish who made it and its potential value.
With your agreement, our specialists will run the process which will include archive research, consultancy and, where necessary, dendrochronology. When the research has been completed, you may wish to sell your instrument with Amati or request that it is returned.

[H6] Amati auctions

[H3] Valuations with Amati
Fill in Amati’s simple online valuation form and upload some photographs. Amati also offer insurance valuations.
Get a valuation

[H6] Amati auctions

[H3] Our Auction Platform
Browsing and bidding for instruments takes place on our Live Online Auction page on the Amati website.
View auctions

[H2] Selling your instrument at an Amati auction

We are the only stringed instrument auctioneers who use 360° photography, which gives our buyers a clear view of the quality of your instrument.

[H5]
Valuation

The first step is to find out how much your stringed instrument or bow is worth and, where possible, establish who made it.
You could have your instrument valued online with Amati’s simple online valuation service. Our specialists will look carefully at the images you submit and give you an estimate of the sort of price you might expect your instrument to achieve at auction. They may ask you for a little more information before they give an estimate.
Start an online valuation
Alternatively, Amati hold free, no obligation, valuation days for violins, violas, cellos and bows. Our Valuations page will help you find the nearest valuation day near you, and we encourage you to make an appointment.
Book a Valuation Day appointment
During your appointment, or in your online valuation, our specialists will be able to advise what the current market value is for your instrument. They will give you a price range in which they believe your instrument will be sold. A high percentage of instruments will be sold within that range; a few exceed it, and a few do not. You should always be aware that your instrument may make only the lower end of the estimate range.
Our specialists will also recommend which auction will be the most appropriate for the sale of your instrument. If your instrument is consigned to a Specialist Auction, you and the specialist will agree a reserve price, under which your instrument will not be sold.

[H5]
Research

Sometimes instruments and bows require closer inspection in order to establish who made it and its potential value.
With your agreement, our specialists will run the process which will include archive research, consultancy and, where necessary, dendrochronology. When the research has been completed, you may wish to sell your instrument with Amati or request that it is returned.

[H5]
Consignment

If you decide to sell your instrument, the next step is to complete a consignment form. The consignment form is a written record of the agreed estimates, the reserve (if you and the specialist choose to set one) and the costs of sale, which include our standard seller’s fee.
Amati offers an optional Loss & Damage Liability warranty at a charge of 1.5% +VAT of the hammer price. You may not need this if your instrument is already covered by your household or specific musical instrument insurance. If you do choose to use our insurance cover, then that cost will also be deducted from the hammer price.
Our specialists and office staff are always happy to answer any questions you have about the auction process.
If you consign your instrument on a Valuation day, Amati’s specialists are equipped to carry your instrument safely back to the UK offices.
Amati can also accept instruments by post or courier. If you are concerned about your instrument’s safe carriage, we recommend you use an Amati Box, which is a bespoke cardboard box designed and tested for the safe and cost-effective shipping of instruments. Amati can also arrange shipping from your home to their offices.
Contact Amati to arrange shipping

[H5]
The Auction

Back in Amati’s UK offices, we will describe and photograph your instrument in preparation for the auction catalogue. We are the only stringed instrument auctioneers who use 360° photography, which gives our buyers a clear view of the quality of your instrument.
The auction catalogue is published online and is, in effect, a sophisticated online auction platform. It is available to view as a live auction for ten days before the auction end date. As with most online auctions, the majority of the bidding activity takes place in the final moments of the auction.

[H5]
After The Auction

You will receive an email a few days after the auction informing you if your instrument was sold or unsold. If it sold, we will request payment information. Payment is sent by bank transfer 35 days after the auction date. We can also issue a Sterling cheque to UK clients, if that if your preference.
If your instrument did not sell, we will recommend new, usually slightly lower estimates and a new auction date. However, Amati has an excellent sales rate, with many of our auctions achieving 90% sales.
If your instrument did not sell in the auction itself, it is very likely to be sold in the Aftersales, where our strong personal sales and networking skills come into play. Instruments consigned to an Amati Affordable Auction have a reserve price of £10. Your instrument will be sold for whatever price the market decides it is worth. If your instrument is consigned to an Amati Specialist Auction, you and the specialist will have set a reserve price, under which the instrument will not be sold without your specific agreement. We aim, throughout the auction process, to achieve a fair price for the instruments that we sell.

[H5] Words from our customers
Many thanks again to you and your colleagues, especially Oswald for the work undertaken to achieve a very good outcome in the sale of my violin and bow.

[H5] Words from our customers
I was impressed with your complete service from my initial email and phone call to the fund transfer and everything in between

[H5] Words from our customers
It’s hard not to be pleased. Straight, clear information and regular updates. I give Charlott and James at Amati honours and my warmest recommendations.

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[H3] Why sell with Amati?

[H5] Sale Rate for our Fine Stringed Instrument Auctions in 2023

[H5] Sale Rate for our Amati Affordable Auctions.

[H6]

If you sell with Amati, there is a very good chance that your violin will sell. We usually achieve an 80% sale rate (or more) for our Fine Stringed Instrument Auctions, and we have a 100% sale rate for our Amati Affordable Auctions.

[H6] Our Auctions

[H3] Amati Affordable – 30th September

Catalogue launch: 18th Sept 2026

Auction Preview

[H3] Amati Specialist – 24th-25th June 2026

Catalogue launch: 12th June 2026

View Auction

[H6] A violin by Ansaldo Poggi, Bologna, 1958

Estimate: £60,000 – £80,000

[H6]

[H6]

[H6]

[H6]

[H6] A viola by Bernard Simon Fendt Jnr, London, 1831

Estimate £4,000 – £8,000

[H6] A violin by Perry & Wilkinson, Dublin, circa 1844

Estimate: £2,000 – £4,000

[H6] A cello, Workshop of Derazey, Mirecourt, 19th Century

Estimate: £20,000 – £40,000

[H6] A violin by Valery Kagansky, New York, 2017

Estimate: £6,000 – £10,000

[H3] Amati Single Owner Collection – 29th July

Catalogue launch: 16th Jul 2026

Auction Preview

[H3] Please send us a message using the contact form

[H4] +44 (0)20 7099 7114

[H5] Our postal address:

Amati Instruments
10a Chandos Street,
London,
W1G 9DQ

[H6] Amati auctions

[H3] Valuations with Amati
Fill in Amati’s simple online valuation form and upload some photographs. Amati also offer insurance valuations.
Get a valuation