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Published online 16 June 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.894

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Rot offers fresh sound for violin makers

Dose of fungus could make sweeter-sounding wood.

John Whitfield

A dose of rot can make for a better-sounding violin, say Swiss researchers who have used fungal infections to change the acoustic properties of wood.

The treatments make the wood less dense, and have a similar effect to the cold climate that helped to give Antonio Stradivari’s instruments their legendary tone.

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  • Hi there, I come from a region in Italy known for its artisans and artists in every domain...my mother's ancestors were violin makers and as a child I remember being told by grampa that the secret to a great wood for a perfect violin was to have it soak in water for weeks and only then apply the varnish made from a "secret" formula..! So I fully subscribe to the research on the effects of fungi...!! Adriano Batazzi

    • 17 Jun, 2008
    • Posted by: adriano batazzi

  • It would be interesting to see if the researchers can test their wood and get similar results to those Nagyvary et al. reported in the November 2006 issue of Nature. It would also be interesting to see if the great Italian stringed instruments made in the 16th through 18th centuries show any signs of infection with these organisms. Most interesting of all would be to hear what some new instruments sound like made from such infected wood and to see if they hold up structurally as well as the old Italian instruments. The great French violin makers of the 19th century used artificial means to treat their wood, and the result was often wood that was prone to crack and instruments that, while highly responsive, lack the mellowness and tonal depth of the old Italian instruments they were copying. Joseph Magil

    • 26 Jun, 2008
    • Posted by: Joseph Magil