Born in Turin in 1866, Carlo Oddone was undoubtedly one of the most important and original figures of the Turin school between the end of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth century. He entered as an apprentice in Gioffredo Rinaldi's workshop when he was still very young and there he learned the rudiments of violin making and restoration. In 1889, thanks to the introduction of Rinaldi's widow, Oddone moved to London, where he was hired by the renowned firm of Frederick William Chanot. This was an important experience for the young luthier, which marked his style and the management of his future activity; it also allowed him to maintain international contacts after his return to Turin in 1892.
Despite these foreign influences, Oddone's style remained typically Piedmontese and was always very personal and consistent over the years. For his violins, he mainly used two elegant interpretations of the Stradivari and the Guarneri del Gesù patterns. The thin purfling is typically positioned far from the edges. The model of the head is also easily recognizable, with the ovally shaped scroll leaning forward, the short finish of the central eye and the blackened chamfer; the back of the peg box remains quite wide and then suddenly tightens at the level of the volute which, seen from the front, has a triangular shape. The varnish from his early period was soft and rich, of an excellent quality, and then became somewhat drier and harder during the 1920s and 30s.
