Science and the Stradivarius

[XXX]

Interesting article esp when you relate it to us guitarists debating over the aged mellow tones of a 40 or 50 year old instrument vs a modern one .

 

Here we are talking hundreds of years vs a modern one

 

 

 

http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/13/4/8

 

To make it relevant I like to take this quote from the article

 

"Science has not provided any convincing evidence for the existence or otherwise of any measurable property that would set the Cremonese instruments apart from the finest violins made by skilled craftsman today. Indeed, some leading soloists do occasionally play on modern instruments. However, the really top soloists - and, not surprisingly, violin dealers, who have a vested interest in maintaining the Cremonese legend of intrinsic superiority - remain utterly unconvinced.

"

and think of old (50 years) Gibsons or Fenders.

[sufidancer]

I have read it is the wood that Strativarius used was from trees that were infected with a type of fungus. The fungus left the wood internally porous.

It was this added poriousity of the wood that was responsible for the legendary tone of these violins.

[acravero]

I believe it was actually his "formula" for varnish. Most violin makers mix their own varnish, and the cremonese school had "secret recipes". I have heard A. Stradivarius himself used to apply varnish rather liberally, which is ironic because the thin coat that is left after hundreds of years of playing is one of the main reasons his instruments sound so amazing (and are worth so much).

 

Christie's just sold his "Lady Tennant" violin for over 2 million dollars last month!

[XXX]

 

Originally posted by sufidancer I have read it is the wood that Strativarius used was from trees that were infected with a type of fungus. The fungus left the wood internally porous. It was this added poriousity of the wood that was responsible for the legendary tone of these violins.

 

 

Thats not mentioned once in the article .

 

And wood is internally porous on its own , some more dense than others but it is porous to begin with.

 

[sufidancer]

There are many theories, fungus, varnish..and if you are into weather some propose that a small Ice age during the the period the famed trees grew are also contributing factor due to the length of the growth rings.

 

*edit to add link: http://www.acfnewsource.org/art/nice_weather_music.html

[XXX]

Originally posted by acravero I believe it was actually his "formula" for varnish. Most violin makers mix their own varnish, and the cremonese school had "secret recipes". I have heard A. Stradivarius himself used to apply varnish rather liberally, which is ironic because the thin coat that is left after hundreds of years of playing is one of the main reasons his instruments sound so amazing (and are worth so much). Christie's just sold his "Lady Tennant" violin for over 2 million dollars last month!

But if you read the article , you would have read that they discovered that alotl of those older instruments have long lost the original varnish and had been revarnished .

[ebuljan]

My next Strat is going to have flamed fungus infested swamp ash body with a birdseye ice-age growth-ring reduced maple neck. Finally the tone I've been looking for!

[XXX]

Originally posted by ebuljan My next Strat is going to have flamed fungus infested swamp ash body with a birdseye ice-age growth-ring reduced maple neck. Finally the tone I've been looking for!

 

Nice , I love splated guitars err make that spalted not splated .

 

 

[sufidancer]

 

Originally posted by ebuljan My next Strat is going to have flamed fungus infested swamp ash body with a birdseye ice-age growth-ring reduced maple neck. Finally the tone I've been looking for!

 

 

dont forget to raise A. Stradivarius from the dead to assemble it.

[Paul Buerk]

Nice article. The "Free Plate Tuning" stuff is very interesting when applied to guitars. I've been known to bounce some glitter myself, although my neighbor doesn't enjoy the process as much as I do.

 

One great quote I've heard about old violins: "Stradivarius made new violins". Not only that, but he made them to sound completely different than what they sound like today, and the article does mention that fact. Today there are very few (IIRC, you could count them on two hands) Strad's in the same configuration that they originally left his workshop in.

 

The Guild of American Luthiers had a great article in their quarterly a long time ago, since republished in one of the "Big Red Books". It showed the interior of a famous Strad violin, and it looked like a veritable "how to" guide for violin repair. The top had been doubled at least once, there were cleats all over the place, bass bar work, soundpost patches, you name it. But, by gosh, it's a Strad!.

 

The varnish angle is also a hoot - there are plenty of stories of guys who have burned down parts of their shop/house coming up with new "secret" varnishes.

 

As for Electric Guitars (and this is an Electric Guitar Forum), some of the same things apply. The wood and finish change as they get older, faster at first but more gradually over time. In my experience, a new guitar off the bench takes about a year to finally sound like it should, and much better after two or more. Everything settles in, the moisture content comes to equilibrium, the finish gasses out more thoroughly, the glues cure thoroughly, and general shrinkage tightens everything up. One aspect that Strad didn't get to deal with is the way magnets change over time, alnico in particular.

[ottobahn]

Originally posted by sufidancer dont forget to raise A. Stradivarius from the dead to assemble it.

 

That would be A. Stradivari.