The secret of the Stradivarius violin

Researchers have performed a surgery to find out the secret of the great sound of the Stradivarius instrument. They discovered the secret lies in the thickness of the wood.

For the past 300 years, musicians and scientists still cannot explain the unique sound quality of the violin made by Italian artists Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu.

Now a Dutch doctor and violin inventor from Arkansas thinks they have deciphered the mystery after comparing five classical instruments and eight modern instruments with CT scanners, often used to examine patients. Thanks to this measure, they can analyze the physical characteristics of the instrument without harming the million-dollar instrument.

(Photo: AP)

The results show that there is a big difference in the density of wood grain in classical and modern trees. Because of the difference in thickness of wood affecting vibration and sound quality, this finding could explain the superiority of Stradivarius violin.

So why are woods old and present different? "Climate change may be the reason, but wood processing technology is also a cause. In addition, the age of wood in the past 300 years also makes a difference," Berend Stoel at Leiden University Germany, said.

The results can help instrument makers find ways to duplicate the art work of ancient Italian artists.