Nicolò Gagliano was the son of Alessandro. His cellos and violins, together with those of his brother Gennaro, are amongst the most sought-after instruments of the Gagliano family. Although he occasionally copied Amati, the majority of his work shows the influence of Stradivari.
The cello belonging to Jumpstart Jr. Foundation is one of the most beautiful examples by this maker. The wood is exquisite – the back is made from two matched pieces of maple with flames ascending from left to right, and the front is also of two matched halves of very fine medium grain spruce. The varnish is in excellent condition, strikingly pure and vivid with an orange amber-brown colour.
Nicolò sometimes collaborated with his son Giuseppe. Together they developed new improvements including a harder, slightly green-yellow varnish, use of beech wood for linings and purfling and the use of paper fibre for the black outer strips. These features became characteristic of the Gagliano family and of Neapolitan violin making in general.