The Violin of “Pavel’s Violin” was made by Jakob Stainer in Absam, near Innsbruck, in 1670. In the midst of the Baroque Period, it used gut strings, and had neither chin nor shoulder rest. The bow was shorter, lighter, and curved in the opposite direction from today’s bows. The Stainer model I play today – which was Pavel’s – is the inspiration for “Pavel’s Violin.” It was likely made in Bavaria in the mid-1800s. My own violin study is now dedicated to Baroque music.