Son of Carlo Giuseppe, founder of the family, Carlo Antonio Testore was the most prolific luthier of this dynasty and therefore the one whose work is most frequently found. Although his instruments are simpler in construction and choice of materials than those of his father, Carlo Antonio was able to produce instruments that satisfied and still satisfy many musicians for the quality and power of their sound.
The model is elegant, with elongated C-bouts and usually rather small corners; the sound holes, with open stems, are positioned at an angle; the scroll is very personal, with a strongly ovalized volute. Like other members of his family, Carlo Antonio produced a good number of instruments characterized by the absence of the purfling on the back (which was simply simulated by two groves filled with ebony dust and glue) and by the back of the scroll left flat rather than hollowed out.
