<Li> Giovanni Battista Martino Stradivari </Li> <Li> Giuseppe Antonio Stradivari </Li> <P> Antonio Stradivari Italian pronunciation: (anˈtɔːnjo stradiˈvaːri); (1644--December 18, 1737) was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps . Stradivari is generally considered the most significant and greatest artisan in this field . The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial "Strad" are terms often used to refer to his instruments . It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, 960 of which were violins . Around 650 instruments survived, including 450 to 512 violins . </P> <P> Antonio Stradivari's birthdate, presumably between 1644 and 1649, has been debated amongst historians due to the numerous inconsistencies in the evidence of the latter . The 1668 and 1678 censuses report him actually growing younger, a fact explained by the probable loss of statistics from 1647--49, when renewed belligerency between France's Modenese and Spain's Milanese proxies led to a flow of refugees that included Stradivari's mother . </P>

Who is regarded as the finest stringed instrument builder of all time