February 16, 2026
Strings attached: big drama
Hear the "Amati King Cello", the Oldest Known Cello in Existence
A royal 1500s cello stuns—and ignites the ‘Strad vs. hype’ fight while fans beg for more
TLDR: A 16th‑century royal “King” cello by Andrea Amati—now the oldest known—still plays, though it was resized around 1801. Commenters gush over its beauty, demand more than a 10‑second clip, and clash over whether old‑world instrument magic is real or just hype that wouldn’t survive a blind test.
The internet just tuned in to the “King” cello—built around 1560 by Andrea Amati for French royalty—and the comment section is doing a full standing ovation… with a side of spicy debate. One crowd is starry-eyed over the instrument’s royal pedigree and sweet tone, cheering that it’s still playable at the National Music Museum in South Dakota. Another is poking the bear: is the legendary glow around old Italian instruments real or just fancy “wine-tasting” vibes? Cue the blind-test wars.
There’s also outrage over the tiny audio clip—about 10 seconds—leaving listeners thirsting for a full performance. Is it too precious to play, or locked down by rights? One sleuth even dug up full photos from the museum, turning the thread into a mini CSI: Cello episode with pics and details. Meanwhile, history nerds remind everyone that this wasn’t originally a modern cello at all—it was a larger “basso” (think bass violin) that got dramatically slimmed down around 1801. CT scans show the “surgery,” and purists are mourning the sound we’ll never hear.
Still, the vibe is wonderstruck. A pro cellist once called it “sweet” and “forgiving,” and commenters are loving the lineage flex: Amati taught the guy who taught Stradivari. Translation: this is the granddad of greatness—and the comments are the real concert.
Key Points
- •Andrea Amati crafted the “King” cello around the mid‑1500s for King Charles IX of France as part of a set of 38 decorated string instruments.
- •The “King” is the oldest known cello still in existence, though historically it would have been called a basso (bass violin).
- •After the French Revolution, the instrument was reduced in size around 1801, receiving a new neck and conversion from three to four strings to fit evolving performance practices.
- •Matthew Zeller analyzed the instrument’s extensive alterations using CT scans, linking them to broader 18th–19th century trends in adapting older instruments.
- •Now housed at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, the instrument remains playable; Joshua Koestenbaum praised its sweet, warm tone in a 2005 visit.