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Published online 2 October 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1147
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Old violins reveal their secrets
Acoustic measurements identify the signature of a Stradivarius.
Why do the violins made by Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù sound so good? Countless theories have been proposed for the secret of these eighteenth-century Italian instrument-makers, but attempts to identify a unique acoustic signature have proved fruitless. Now a study has finally identified a measurable sound quality that distinguishes these old violins from cheap, factory-made instruments.
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I really thank you for this article as a violin player. The secret that holds the true beautiful sound of violin is the lower octaves. I think luthiers must try to catch the lower tones . If they achieve success of the lower tones, they will find the secrets of the cremonese violins. Ahmet TURP TURKEY
I am a recording engineer and musician, and have worked with many types of instruments, players, and styles of music. I heard Rachael Barton-Pine play her Guarneri violin at a small church. I was about 7 feet from her violin as she played with a string quartet. It sounded wonderful. So rich and full. Studying the low registers of the instruments is a great way to try and copy some of the sounds of the master inmstruments.
Schleske is a luthier who uses science to improve his violins' acoustics: http://www.schleske.de/index.php?lang=en