Thanks to the focused research of such people as Francois Denis, Alvin Thomas King, Andrew Dipper and others, violin makers now have a plausible and workable methodology for designing instruments of the violin family. These methodologies can accurately explain the design principle behind the Cremonese instruments. The importance of this discovery of methodology cannot be understated, for it finally allows makers to break free of being only very accurate copiers and gives them the tools to participate in the design from the onset. Thus, makers can now create their own personal models, which, even though they may look completely traditional, incorporate each maker's individual talents for line and curve. People who studied Stradivarius' life know that he was a very proliferate innovator himself. At certain periods of his life it seems that no sooner than the varnish was dry on his latest instrument, he was busy incorporating a new idea into the next pattern, a change of length here, a change of width there. We as makers are now free to truly follow in that tradition of innovation-and it is exciting and liberating to say the least. Another implication of having a working methodology is that it allows us to push the limits of design further than they've ever been pushed, while still following the laws of classic proportionality. For a violin maker that's just pure fun. Here are some examples of designs of mine.