So you thought choosing a new speaker was hard ......how about a Stradivarius

[awsmone]

I found these different timbre fascinating

 

[PeterA]

Fascinating. Then there are the bow choices.

It reminds me of matching speakers to room and amps to speakers all according to the preferences of the listener. Then throw in the cables. There are many likely convincing sounding combinations, but for the ones that are believable sounding, is any one more correct than the others? That's what makes this hobby so interesting and confusing, and so personal.

These violin differences actually remind me most of cartridge choices. Great video. Thanks for posting.

 

[morricab]

I found these different timbre fascinating

I have actually witnessed this experiment live in my home with 3 world class violins (Strad, Guarneri and Amati) and two too bows. I even put them on a spectrum analyzer...science geek that I am. It was a deep and formative learning experience.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Hello Brad, what did you learn?

 

[DaveyF]

Every superb musical instrument has its very own ‘voice’. The better the instrument, at least imo, the more obvious that ‘voice’ will be.
The other day, I visited the Taylor guitar factory to play several of their models. After about an hour, I had narrowed it down to just three models, yet all three had a very different ‘voicing’ and to my ears, sound....none were intrinsically hugely better than the other. That’s when the fun really began, because now I needed to narrow it down even more, to a specific instrument that was to my ears giving me the exact sound that I was looking for. After another few hours, I had narrowed it down to one. Same model as one of the three initially, but very slightly different ‘voicing’ to all of the others.
There are numerous variables as to why this is a factor with superb instruments, not the least is the variety and age of the material they are sourced from....and that is just for starters.

 

[awsmone]

Fascinating. Then there are the bow choices.

It reminds me of matching speakers to room and amps to speakers all according to the preferences of the listener. Then throw in the cables. There are many likely convincing sounding combinations, but for the ones that are believable sounding, is any one more correct than the others? That's what makes this hobby so interesting and confusing, and so personal.

These violin differences actually remind me most of cartridge choices. Great video. Thanks for posting.

Exactly my point of posting Peter

Did you notice the last three that he thought the best seemed to be more similar: that’s the Guarneri the Il cremonese and the late Strad the Lam

I must say I personally agree with his rationale/choices

Late Strad Scottish Strad the Lam
Il Cremonese Joachim Strad
Guarneri that was Zuckermans at one time “Stauffer”

Despite being on you tube this is a good recording of violin in real space and not close miked the room is quite live due to the absence of a big audience

 

[awsmone]

I have actually witnessed this experiment live in my home with 3 world class violins (Strad, Guarneri and Amati) and two too bows. I even put them on a spectrum analyzer...science geek that I am. It was a deep and formative learning experience.

Wow what an experience for you!
Interestingly that research has been carried out with the aim of synthesis the important elements in the great violins using spectral analysis of impulse response I will try and dig up the documentary I saw on this technique

 

[Ron Resnick]

Every superb musical instrument has its very own ‘voice’. The better the instrument, at least imo, the more obvious that ‘voice’ will be.
The other day, I visited the Taylor guitar factory to play several of their models. After about an hour, I had narrowed it down to just three models, yet all three had a very different ‘voicing’ and to my ears, sound....none were intrinsically hugely better than the other. That’s when the fun really began, because now I needed to narrow it down even more, to a specific instrument that was to my ears giving me the exact sound that I was looking for. After another few hours, I had narrowed it down to one. Same model as one of the three initially, but very slightly different ‘voicing’ to all of the others.
There are numerous variables as to why this is a factor with superb instruments, not the least is the variety and age of the material they are sourced from....and that is just for starters.

It seems just like cartridges with audible sample-to-sample sonic variation.

 

[awsmone]

Yes it’s fascinating the differences I note some great violinist have 3 or 4 famous violins at any time, Paganini had a few besides Il cannone which is one of the most famous Guarneri

 

[DaveyF]

It seems just like cartridges with audible sample-to-sample sonic variation.

A fairly accurate description indeed. Although I happen to think that there is much more that goes into building a superb musical instrument than any cartridge. The variability therefore makes a lot more sense in a superb instrument than in a cartridge. OTOH, I guess when you are working with such small tolerances and minute parts, perhaps it too makes sense.

 

[awsmone]

A fairly accurate description indeed. Although I happen to think that there is much more that goes into building a superb musical instrument than any cartridge. The variability therefore makes a lot more sense in a superb instrument than in a cartridge. OTOH, I guess when you are working with such small tolerances and minute parts, perhaps it too makes sense.

Yes I saw a documentary that goes through every step of making a "copy" of a guaneri violin template....its extraordinary the steps, no wonder he only made 700 or so in his life time(Antonio Stradivari ), getting better the older he got amazing..till 93, unfortunately Guarneri had a short life of 46 years and 200 odd instruments all violins but one cello

 

[awsmone]

It’s pretty obvious the Guarneri are second rate and who can tell the difference anyway right

This is a short list of B listers who owned Guarneri
such as Salvatore Accardo, Sarah Chang, Kyung-wha Chung, Eugene Fodor, Jascha Heifetz, Joseph Joachim, Leila Josefowicz, Nigel Kennedy, Leonid Kogan, Henning Kraggerud, Fritz Kreisler, Gidon Kremer, Yang Liu, Robert McDuffie,[3]Anne Akiko Meyers, Midori, Elmar Oliveira, Ruth Palmer, Itzhak Perlman, Rachel Barton Pine, Maud Powell, Michael Rabin, Charlie Siem, Marie Soldat, Isaac Stern, Henryk Szeryng, Arve Tellefsen Richard Tognetti, Uto Ughi, Henri Vieuxtemps, Aaron Rosand, Eugène Ysaÿe, Zvi Zeitlin, Pinchas Zukerman, and Yi-Jia Susanne Hou have used Guarneri del Gesù violins at one point in their career or even exclusively.
Virtuoso Niccolò Paganini's favorite violin, Il Cannone Guarnerius of 1743, and the Lord Wilton of 1742, once owned by Yehudi Menuhin, are del Gesù instruments. In addition, the Vieuxtemps Guarneri—once owned by Henri Vieuxtemps—was sold in 2013 close to its asking price of $18 million USD, making it the most expensive instrument in the world. Jascha Heifetz owned a c. 1740 Guarneri del Gesù from the 1920s until his death in 1987. It was his favorite instrument, even though he owned several Stradivaris.

 

[PeterA]

It seems just like cartridges with audible sample-to-sample sonic variation.

I think it is more analogous to top cartridges from different companies or cartridges made by the same designer. These violins are made to sound slightly different. Each has its own voice, just like a top level Koetsu, AirTight or Lyra. Or, if by the same maker, slight variations, like the Lyra Etna versus the Olympus or Atlas. Sample to sample variation for the same cartridge is not something intentional.

I guess it matters whether or not these violins are intended to sound similar or slightly different. I think it is the latter.