Why Can’t We Make New Stradivari Violins?

Stradivarius are synonymous with quality, but how we can replicate their sound is a mystery!

Hosted by: Hank Green

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Sources:

[Neelo]

I suspect part of the reason Strads sound so good is that you have to be a world class violinist to even be invited to play one.

[rbwd]

"Why Can’t We Make New Stradivari Violins?"

I would imagine it's because the guy's dead.

[caleschley]

Fun add: in the double blind test they made the players wear welding goggles so they couldn't see the instruments and they put perfume on the chin rests so they couldn't smell the instruments. They didn't want any preconceived notions affecting the players.

[johndeckercom]

I saw a strad violin at the met museum. The next day I had lunch with a cello professor friend. I said isn’t it a shame that a strad sits unplayed in the museum. She remarked that of the 650 or so out there, only about 50 would be considered to be of high quality. Many have been repaired poorly, damaged or simply weren’t good from the start. She had played all 8 strad cellos and found that only three could be called great instruments.

[unicornswag]

Maybe the real Strads were the friends we made along the way.

[Statsomatic]

As a violin maker, good job. Covering old violins for a general audience is tricky to do but this gave a good idea of the reality of these instruments.

[docnickmacaluso]

I remember reading that Antonio Stradivari actually made some of his instruments from wood salvaged from a Roman temple, meaning it was already a thousand years old.

[imprincesswolfy]

In November there was a huge “coming soon” poster in my local mall for a new store named Stradivarius.
I had to leave the state for Christmas and when I came back in January, I discovered it was just a clothing store. As a violinist my soul broke and was so disappointed

[Prizzlesticks]

Clearly, their unique sound comes from the souls of dead violinists trapped inside.

[grayice]

I do appreciate that these violins have held up for over 400 years and are still playable and enjoyed by millions.

[hovant]

Maybe the real acoustic characteristics of a stradivarus were the friends we made along the way

[aesoprockinin]

ON THE ONE HAND, Stradivari is a legend who deserves all the respect in the world for absolutely mastering the craft of violin-making like no one else in history, despite alot of really phenomenal competition. HOWEVER, experts truly cannot tell the difference between Strads and modern high end violins anymore. IN FACT, most professional violinists actually prefer modern ones in double blind studies. STILL, despite all of our advancements in technology, the fact that better violins only started being produced this century means that Stradivari was unrivaled for over 250 years, including all of the industrial revolution. Now that is one absolutely incredible accomplishment

[andrew_owens]

This reminds me of the psychology of the Doom video game. They had a gun that passed from version to version with the same damage specs. But all of a sudden, users responded that the new gun wasn't as good as the old one and statistics showed that it did not perform as well. Turns out the sound effect changed from a low thunk to something higher pitched. That was the only change.

[DanMcMullan]

Why am I not surprised the double-blind test proved that no one could tell the difference? 🙄 People are easily persuaded. The Wine Industry has been doing this for centuries.

[dwatts]

Strad is in heaven watching someone with a 10 million dollar violin and saying "bro I made that in a weekend when I was drunk, it's worth like 200 bucks, tops."

[elihyland]

I heard one once played by Josh Bell (that Josh Bell) in his apt which was designed for incredible acoustics. He played the Four Seasons with an (obviously world class) pianist. I worked for a catering company and they gave me the gig bc they liked me. I got paid to be in that room and the audience paid 10k (Swatch event) it was so beautiful I cried. It opened up a portal in my life to allow in beauty. One the best moments of my entire life. #stradlyfe

[DreamUpArt]

"The secret ingredient in Secret Ingredient Soup. The secret ingredient is... nothing. To make something special you just have to believe it's special." :D

[uo]

As someone immersed in the audiophile world, I can say this placebo effect is stronger than most people think.

[David-pdli]

Part of the reason Strads are considered exceptional is because they project extremely well. Earlier fiddles like those of Maggini (1600 to 1630) were built during a time when orchestras were much smaller so their ability to project wasn't as critical as it was in Stradavarious' time. Earlier violins tended to be quieter and usually had earthier, more open and perhaps more somber tones. Those built roughly one hundred years later in the Cremona school were very balanced, had better volume and were also brighter with more clarity in their highs which made them better suited for use in the larger orchestras of that time. Personally, I prefir the earlier instruments even though they ordinarily aren't powerhouses because of the sort of music I play so my assertion is that one becomes used to the qualities of whatever he plays and that becomes the preference if his instrument preforms adiquitly for the music being played. Perhaps Strads are a better choice for the orchestral musician because of their tonal character but it could be argued that the clasical player has developed the preferance for the Strad and over time, because the non playing public views the musician who plays in the string section as a legitimate authority on the subject the Stradivari is considered best because a respected player says they're the best. I'm not sure that's actually true. There are many very fine violins built by masterful makers and I believe that what makes one better than another is the preference of the person playing it.
I think when considering Strads the better question is what makes them cut across eighty other instruments to be heard above the rest when others are not. That may be what gave rise to the notion that Antonio Stradavari's violins were the best that were built in his time and are still considered the best by many today.

[THUMBS]

Farther down in the comments is the mention of a PBS program that duplicated a Strad. The show was Nova: “What is Music” and might still be up on YouTube. It featured Dr Joseph Najovari of Texas A&M who analyzed spruce shavings obtained from Strad restorers, and also the chemistry of the varnished used. He was able to come very close to duplicating a Strad. It is definitely worth a watch if still available for viewing.