Despite the fact that the ‘St. Senoch’ cello is representative of the ‘Long Pattern’ style developed by Stradivari circa 1690, it can still be considered an instrument belonging to the master’s early production period, when the influence of the Amati tradition was more visible. Stradivari was particularly adherent to Nicolò Amati’s style where the cellos were concerned, following it for several decades, as can be seen in the instruments’ sizes. From 1680—the approximate date of his earliest surviving cello—until the end of the century, Stradivari manufactured around twenty-five cellos; all of them are large, like those of Amati. The first examples of reduced dimensions appear from 1699 onwards and were probably carried out following specific requests from the clients.
More information: Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 2, Page 28