Why can't we make stradivari violins anymore?
Why can't we make stradivari violins anymore?
Blake Watson
William Phillips
Because the people who had a deal with the devil died
Oliver White
There is nothing mysterious about them and there are several very skilled violin makers producing top quality instruments right now. Strads are popular for two reasons: 1. People flip them at auction like paintings. 2. Cache. Some owners will select a violinist to loan their strad. They seem to get some enjoyment out of owning the thing that a good violinist plays. It's a weird thing.
Jordan Powell
300 years from now people will be idolizing ali express guitars as the epitome of music instruments
Gavin Rogers
confession. I tried to learn the violin, got me a yamaha electric. Played it a lot, suzuki method. I gave up and sold it. I regret it.
Andrew Robinson
No they won't because that implies strads we're low quality mass produced instruments and they weren't. Quality is quality you dumb fucking leftist cunt
Alexander Long
One possible reason is that lumber is processed differently in the modern age. Back in the day, logs could sit in the water for years and take on different characteristics. Another could be the old-fashioned glue mixture that no one can really identify. As said they're not really the mind-blowing standard of perfection they're sometimes made out to be, they're just really nice violins.
Hudson Robinson
>they're not really the mind-blowing standard of perfection they're sometimes made out to be, they're just really nice violins.
There have been experiments on this. Double blind using well respected soloists as test subjects. Result? They couldn't pick a strad from a modern (very well built) violin. No question they are excellent violins but the best of the forever actually worth millions solely because of their quality? Nah.
nationalgeographic.com
Thomas Jackson
Here are the results of that study in detail
lam.jussieu.fr
Joshua Barnes
because the tone of a stradivarius is mostly hyped it comes from many generation of cork sniffers
a 100 years old violin played it by a pro can easily match it
William Russell
The guitar equivalent is a 1930s or early 40s Martin D28 - these go for over a hundred grand. Makes my 2022 D-18 seem a bargain by comparison.
Hunter Ward
The climate affected growth patterns of trees used in their construction is something that can't be replicated in modern times.
That said, it doesn't really make enough of a difference tonewise to worry about it.
The better question is why violin makers are so stubbornly stuck in traditional manufacturing techniques when stronger, better sounding designs could certainly be innovated today.
Angel Lopez
Trees grew denser wood at the location/time they were made. There was far less sunlight during the 50 or so years these violins were made due to some climate anomalies. The trees therefore grew slower resulting in denser wood.
This dense wood is probably virtually impossible to grow today because there’s so much carbon in the atmosphere, conditions for vegetation growth are excellent right now.
Of course then there is the master craftsmanship, and the instruments themselves have had time to season and harden as necessary. It’s easy to say someone could do it these days, but then why can’t anyone build a palace like Versailles, or make stain glass windows like those in the great European cathedrals? The modern world and market is corrosive to the kind of multigenerational dedication required for this craftsmanship.
Luis Taylor
Alot of modern day musicians suffer from the cargo cult syndrome. Lots of cork sniffing but most would have trouble telling cheap gear from expensive gear in double-blind test.
Jonathan Peterson
What made them so good? Or was it just a meme that got perpetuated like the 59 Les Paul meme?
Kayden Wood
What do think? Instruments are glorified shovels. 9 times out of 10 it won't matter what you use if your shit sucks.
Colton Powell
Name recognition
This is not to distract from the fact that they were indeed some of the best, but their mythical status is largely overblown. Many contemporaries and makers through the years are no worse
Jose Ward
It isn’t just a meme, analysis of the wood shows the density is both slightly greater and much more consistent in violins of the era, particularly Stradivarius, then wood today. It is impossible to grow trees today like those from the “mini ice age” conditions of 16-1700s.
Hudson Sanders
Who cares when 99.9% of people cannot hear a difference?
Luke Collins
Wrong. It will be PRS’s and Steinbergers
Ryan Davis
lmao you're delusional
Ryan Evans
Delusionally rich in 30 years
Joshua Myers
Just grow the trees closer to the north pole.
Jace Howard
So we're doing the whole tone wood thing now.
Ethan Morris
>not jelly over my ax
back to your 9 string and juice boxes, sonny.
David Wood
just because its old doesnt mean its good
this is what guitar fags do all the time they will just equate old with it sounds better with absolutely no foundation for the argument everyone just accepts it