Wow. A Red Violin ref.
I love that movie.

I love that movie, too, so I'm really getting a kick out of this headline.

+1

Also loved the movie!

The sequel is the BROWN Violin, made from his wife's poop.

Litterbox:I believe it was a fungus or mold that was present in the wood if I recall correctly.

I thought it was the wood was more dense due to a "mini-ice-age" or some BS like that... *shrugs*

Density of the wood due to climate conditions of the age when the wood was felled.

People used to say it was the lacquer he used, but if it was simple chemistry, we'd have that figured out long ago.

Approves

/may be slightly obscure

Mercutio879:Approves

/may be slightly obscure

I hope so; I checked the file name, and if it's a reference to Charmed I'd rather no one here gets it.

bearded clamorer:
I believe he defeated the Devil in some type of contest.

I lol'd

I always suspected it was his semen. I figured he would get a laugh when watching someone play his instruments.

Plug it in, plug it in.

way to spoil the movie, subby.

I've got dense wood, so I'm getting a kick...

"There is no way of knowing from this data; we've just shown there are density differences."

I love articles that end with that. Makes me wish I had my two minutes back.

Magic?

Nestea Plunge:Density of the wood due to climate conditions of the age when the wood was felled.

People used to say it was the lacquer he used, but if it was simple chemistry, we'd have that figured out long ago.

It's hard to say. It's very difficult to do chemical tests without physically damaging the instrument in some way. I'd guess that many standard scientific procedures would never be applied to the Stradivarius for this reason.

bearded clamorer:I believe he defeated the Devil in some type of contest.

"but wouldn't a gold violin be really heavy and sound crappy?"
"if I win you get a silver violin and I get to kill one of you"

Oh sure. If it was the wood, why is it that none of the other hundreds of violin builders, all of whom had access to the same forests and wood, could build as good a violin? It is because it is not the wood, it is the skill of the builder.

/rant done
//acoustic guitar builder

Sarah Jessica Farker:way to spoil the movie, subby.

How do you figure? It's not like the "climax" or anything?

"Global Warming", is there anything that boogie man doesn't mess up?
Can't even make a decent violin these days because of it.

/rolls eyes

bearded clamorer:
I believe he defeated the Devil in some type of contest.

haha. good show ol' chap.

mtman900:Mercutio879:Approves

/may be slightly obscure

I hope so; I checked the file name, and if it's a reference to Charmed I'd rather no one here gets it.

It's not a reference to charmed, it's the only pic I could find of the guy that was decent.

bearded clamorer:bulldg4life:
However, they said that they weren't sure why just his violins were so good and not people in contemporary times.

meh

I believe he defeated the Devil in some type of contest.

Since I beat the devil in some type of contest, I'm getting a kick out of that response.

FTA:

Now a Dutch doctor and a violin maker from Arkansas think they have cracked the mystery after comparing five classical and eight modern violins in a computed tomography (CT) scanner normally used to examine patients.

Don't they call it a "fiddle" there?

flecsrogar:bearded clamorer:bulldg4life:
However, they said that they weren't sure why just his violins were so good and not people in contemporary times.

meh

I believe he defeated the Devil in some type of contest.

Since I beat the devil in some type of contest, I'm getting a kick out of that response.

Being the devil, I am getting a kick out these replies...

I always wondered if you did a double blind test ala Randi's JREF million dollar prize whether the old Stradivari and Guarneri would really sound better than anything else.

Nestea Plunge:Density of the wood due to climate conditions of the age when the wood was felled.

People used to say it was the lacquer he used, but if it was simple chemistry, we'd have that figured out long ago.

Saw the show too. Had to call b/s.


If it were true, Alaskan spruce would show similar characteristics in instruments.

grizzlyjohnson:I always wondered if you did a double blind test ala Randi's JREF million dollar prize whether the old Stradivari and Guarneri would really sound better than anything else.

It'd be impossible, the player would know if they were playing a Strad or a modern instrument.

/Guarneri was a hack.

mini-ice age, storage in lake absorbed lots of minerals, storage for a long time in shop,

Perfect storm.

it's not clear to me that a strad actually sounds better than modern violins. maybe it's all psychological.

violinists you realize are a very superstitious bunch. They still use wood that they press hard and then twist in place to keep the strings in tune. Instead of a simple geared tuner, like everyone else uses on guitars and basses. Nope. they still use friction pegs why? they are superstitious and old fashioned.

naturally they will tell you a strad sounds better and nothing you say will convince them otherwise. Unless of course, you trick them into listening to a modern violin and pretend it's a strad then they'll say it sounds wonderful.

I want to know how much of the hype is attributed to the psychological assumption that Strads sound the best. EVERY musician knows that instrument quality can vary widely, even those that come off the assembly line one after another...especially so for hand-made instruments. The fact that people think every Strad sounds good makes me suspicious.

Wait, isn't this the in plot for the next Indiana Jones?

little ice age

strangeguitar:I love that movie.

Really?

I did not like it.

No, not at all.

Can I join the thread?



I'm tuned in fifths as well!

Chester J. Lampwick:Don't they call it a "fiddle" there?

Fiddle is violin played poorly - and vice versa.

No, no, it was obviously his urine in the varnish.

/Worked in a violin shop, getting kick out of replies

ScotterOtter:I want to know how much of the hype is attributed to the psychological assumption that Strads sound the best. EVERY musician knows that instrument quality can vary widely, even those that come off the assembly line one after another...especially so for hand-made instruments. The fact that people think every Strad sounds good makes me suspicious.

not sure how much orchestra music you listen to, but even a tin ear like myself can tell the difference.
I note you use the word, "Assembly Line" but Stradivarius did not build like that, each piece was hand crafted to perfection in a manor that is not undertaken in our disposable culture, and god knows how many he pitched because it was not perfect. You see, it is that attention to detail that folks respond to. Feel free to be Suspicious, Heck i would encourage it, but make sure you actually try and listen to a few then compare it to "standard", Instruments and then make that statement again.

Besides the article is way off anyways.

Everyone knows the best Stradivariuscasters are built by a little company called "Fender" in "Southern California".

duh.

bonerici:it's not clear to me that a strad actually sounds better than modern violins. maybe it's all psychological.

violinists you realize are a very superstitious bunch. They still use wood that they press hard and then twist in place to keep the strings in tune. Instead of a simple geared tuner, like everyone else uses on guitars and basses. Nope. they still use friction pegs why? they are superstitious and old fashioned.



You've probably heard about these, but in case you haven't: Pegheds.

I just bought a cello and had them installed before I took the cello out of the store for the first time. You have to have an extra bit of crazy about you to insist on using friction pegs when pegheds are available.

It probably has something to do with bacon?

For those interested in violin acoustics, and the modern-day Stradavarius, check out:
Link (new window)

Highly recommended.

I actually just bought that DVD the other day. Have owned the soundtrack (bought off iTunes) for years, too. A truly amazing film, both in the scope of its story and the delivery of said tale. Full of stellar performances and brilliant directing.

In a word, win-tastic.

\ Plus, what other movie has a bad mother-farking violin appraiser?