Stradivari wood secret revealed..tone in the wood

[Brad Malone]

In a study published yesterday in Public Library of Science ONE, Dutch researchers ran five of the peerless instruments, made in the early 18th century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari and synonymous with harmonic perfection, through a CT scanner.

The resulting three-dimensional X-rays revealed that wood used in Stradivari's violins possessed an exceptionally uniform density, with little variation in growth rings added by trees each season.

Summertime growth typically outpaces wintertime growth, producing broad rings of relatively permeable wood that alternate with narrow, dense winter bands. That differential affects the wood's harmonic qualities.

Fortunately for Stradivari, he lived during the Little Ice Age: trees grew little more in summer than in winter. Hence the uniformly dense wood, hence three centuries of experts baffled by the resonance of Stradivarius violins, which have been variously attributed to varnishes, boiling and submersion in ponds.

uniformly dense wood made Stradivari's violins sound better.

[Darrell Criswell]

The issue of the uniqueness of Stradavarius violins has been debated extensively. I spoke to the luthier who maintains the Stradavarius violins and cello at the Library of Congress and he said the Stradavarius instruments, although marvelous instruments, are certainly no better than fine instruments made today. Many violinists in fact don't like Stradavarius violins, many prefer Guarneri violins.

Also a luthier at Texas A & M university has conducted blinded tests and found although people certainly like the sound of Stradavarius violins they do not prefer them to fine instruments of today.

[Ron Whitfield]

I always liked the theory that the historic floods in the regions where they eventually havested the permeated trees had an effect on the tones.

[Charles Davidson]

I had read that a few years ago about the theory about the mini ice age,I don't have a clue who's right or wrong,I can tell a quality acoustic guitar,mandolin,or banjo as soon as I pick it up,But I could REALLY be conned when it comes to the violin,I would'nt know the difference between a ten thousand dollar fiddle or a hundred thousand one,just by looking at it or holding it.I really ADMIRE a good fiddle player,I can at least get a tune out of most instruments,except the fiddle,DYKBC.

[Bill Hatcher]

There was also some theory about him either soaking or basting some kind of thin solution on the wood that hardened with some manner of mineral residue left. That thought was a result of electron microscope use to examine the pores of the wood in his instruments.

[Pete Woronowski]

I have an excellent book on Stradivarius you would enjoy. Its called:

Stradivarius Five Violins,One Cello and a Genius.
By Tony Faber.

Take Care, Pete

[Barry Blackwood]

I want to know, when is somebody going to scan a black Emmons PP ......

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Among the dozens of theories that we have all seen somewhere over the years on Nova, science magazines, etc, I like the one where the harvested lumber was floated down some river that was rich in tannins that 'cured' the wood. Presumably this 'cure' was not by design. Just the nature of the wood industry. I've got my steel soaking in a bathtub of red wine right now. I'll report back but I expect that it will have THE TONE when it's done.
If not, does anyone have any tips on how to remove wine stains from things?

As to how to distinguish the million dollar Strad from the Guitar Center student model---the Strad is the one that gets left in the back seat of taxi cabs.

[Kevin Hatton]

Didn't Jimmy Hendrix play a Fender Strad? I thought he sounded pretty good.

[Ron Whitfield]

...are you drunk already?

Guess I better catch up, and put on Jimi and The Star Spangled Banner!

[Dave Mudgett]

This article suggests that both Strads and Guarneris were part of this test.

Scientists compared five antique violins made by the Cremonese masters Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu with seven modern-day instruments by placing them in a medical scanner that could accurately gauge the density of the two wooden plates that make up the top and the back of the body.

{From wiredscience article}... uniformly dense wood made Stradivari's violins sound better.

Yet another theory to add to a long list of theories. The mere fact that the rings of the Strads and Guarneri violins are regular and those of the modern violins are not is merely correlative, and is far from conclusive proof of cause and effect.

If one could make some modern violins with the same type of wood and be able to discern similar differences from comparably made violins using modern wood in double blind tests, that would be much more convincing. Short of that, my guess is that this debate will continue.

I just love it - "Scientists say, 'mystery solved'". Get the white lab coats out, boys. We have a photo op.

[Scott Shipley]

An analysis of the Stradivari varnish in 1977 by Dr. Joseph Nagyvary revealed traces of crushed beetle exo-skeleton (for elasticity), gold dust, and even human blood, the latter believed to have been for aesthetic reasons only. It was discovered at the time that Stradivari stored (aged) his wood in a salt-water bay to dry the sap more quickly and thereby open up the pores of the wood.
Bottom line, the Strads sound like they do because of a combination of age, and skill on the part of the maker. However, it has been noted that the sound quality of these famed violins has deteriorated in recent years due to the fact that the wood itself is becoming so thin that there is not enough mass left there to move properly when draggin the bow across the strings.

[David Mason]

I've got my steel soaking in a bathtub of red wine right now.

Try soaking the brain, it may have a bigger perceived effeffeffect... of course it's a combination of stuff. I recently read an article talking about restoring a Strad by painstakingly rebuilding old, broken wood, rather than replacing it with a solid new piece. It seemed pretty obvious to me that the perception of tone had more to do with the end goal than structural integrity, vibrations, density etc. These guys have the right idea:
http://www.luisandclark.com/

[b0b]

Seems to me that an instrument maker could set up a climate-controlled green house full of trees to get the "Little Ice Age" effect. It would take some long range planning, but 50 years from now nobody would be able to match the tone of your violins.

[Alan Brookes]

Remember that a violin is designed to REDUCE sustain, whereas acoustic lap steels are built to ENHANCE sustain. It has to be that way because the bow creates a lengthened note which has to stop once the bow is lifted. Try playing a violin with a tone bar and you'll see what I mean: it will sound dead.

[Don Drummer]

Mini Ice Age? Don't tell Al Gore.

[Donny Hinson]

I just love it - "Scientists say, 'mystery solved'". Get the white lab coats out, boys. We have a photo op.

I sorta feel the same way. Music is an art, and art is pretty hard to quantify scientifically.

I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy.

Richard Feynman