Advanced AI analysis combines visual matching, dendrochronology, and provenance research to help identify and authenticate string instruments.
Three steps from photographs to expert analysis.
Send high-resolution photographs of your instrument — front, back, scroll, and any labels or markings.
Our models compare visual features, wood grain patterns, and construction details against a database of known instruments.
Receive a detailed identification report with provenance research, comparable instruments, and authentication insights.
Purpose-built AI for string instrument identification.
Deep learning embeddings compare visual features across thousands of reference images to find similar instruments and construction patterns.
Tree-ring analysis matches wood grain patterns to date the timber used in construction, cross-referencing against reference chronologies.
Automated citation and auction record analysis traces an instrument's ownership history and exhibition appearances.
The Violin Identification Institute is a research initiative by Payton Violins, combining decades of luthier expertise with modern AI to advance the science of instrument identification and authentication.
Our database spans centuries of violin making, from Cremonese masters to modern workshops, providing the foundation for accurate, evidence-based instrument analysis.
Visit Payton ViolinsHave a violin, viola, or cello you'd like identified? Send us your details and photographs to begin the analysis process.