In Series Two, Sherlock owns and plays a vintage German violin
made circa 1880. It is made from well flamed maple with a fine
belly grain, and varnished in orangey brown. The exact manufacturer
and place of origin is unknown, though it is known to be 'factory
made' rather than by a dedicated violin maker.
The violin was chosen by Cardiff Violins for loan to the production team
specifically for its tone and age - the instrument was made around
the time of the publication of Arthur Conan Doyle's original
stories.
The violin is currently owned and regularly played by a member
of the Sherlockology team.
It is worth noting that the music you hear performed onscreen is
not produced by this violin. While Benedict Cumberbatch learnt how
to play in a week and performed live on the set under the tutelage
of violinst Eos Chater, thanks to the nature of television
post production all the audio had to be re-recorded.
For further information on the use of this violin on set, you
can read Eos Chater's blog post on the experience of teaching
Benedict Cumberbatch how to play HERE.