16.."; perhaps he also went to Venice to work for a short period with Vermercati. The following year he opened his workshop and married, on 26 November, Margarete Holzhammer with whom he had eight children. Stainer continued to produce outstanding instruments for court musicians and for the orchestra of the cathedrals of Innsbruck, Salzburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Bozen (Bolzano), Meran (Merano), Brixen (Bressanone) and the court of Spain. In 1656 he achieved success and bought a house, now known as 'House of Jacob Stainer' () in which he built his instruments, including the most precious one, preserved at the Tiroler Landesmuseum (Ferdinandeum) Innsbruck. In 1658 Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria awarded him the honour of 'Servant of the Archduke' until 1662 when the Archduke died. In 1669, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor appointed him 'Imperial servant'. The same year he was arrested in Innsbruck, having been found in possession of books concerning Lutheranism, and had to do an act of repentance; between 1670 and 1679 he continued to receive orders from the church. In 1680, probably due to persecution as a heretic, he fell into a manic-depressive syndrome, dying three years later in Absam. Characteristic features of his instruments Broad lower back; pronounced higher arching of the belly than the back; highly skilled craftsmanship, particularly displayed in cut scrolls and occasionally carved heads of lions, angels, or women; and varnish ranging in color from amber to orange-red, comparable in brilliance to Cremonese varnish. Production Stainer's production can be divided into three distinct periods: the first, including the stay in Italy, from the beginning until 1620, the second until 1667 and the third until his death. The first and the third periods are considered the best, especially for the quality of the instruments produced. Stainer produced a few violas, including a viola di bordone and a viola bastarda, and only a few cellos that are a rarity. Several of his instruments are preserved in museums, including the Tiroler Landesmuseum in Innsbruck and the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague. Stainer always produced his instruments, more than 300, by himself and never allowed apprentices to create a school in order to hand down his expertise. Stainer's label Jacobus Stainer ex Absam prope Oenipontum fecit Cremonae Translation: "Jacob Stainer from Absam near Innsbruck made this in Cremona." References External links "Lorenz Mizler's spirit varnish"(said to be that used by Jacob Stainer), John Sankey, guitar maker, Website