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[Santiago]

A video available today on the home page of The New York Times (www.nytimes.com)discusses and demonstrates an Antonio Stradivari violin up for auction at Christies and expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million.

[Lefty&French]

Loars are 80 years old, Strads are 300 years old!

[Mark Walker]

Let's buy TWO! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Yep - they are a bit older than a Loar!

And I've heard it speculated that the wood used in those Strads was harvested from trees which grew during the 'mini ice-age' and had very small and dense growth rings, and which positively affected the sounds of those particular violins.

[billhay4]

Just about everything that can be speculated about Strads has been speculated. Varnish, wood, craftspersonship, change in musical tastes, you name it. Maybe it's genius.
Bill

[Mark Walker]

Billhay4 - you're right. #On one show I saw on the Discovery Channel, after having 'dissected' via X-rays, MRI's, known carving techniques, glues and all the other variable factors associated with Stradivari's genius, they set out to reproduce exact replicas of his violins. # While every one of the 'replicated' instruments had a beautiful tone (and of course 300 years would enhance that even further I'd think), they simply could not replicate the scientifically-observable and quantifiable sound waves emanating from an original in the 'duplicated' versions. #

It would be interesting indeed if one could - using a time machine - a.) Bring Stradivari to the present and see what his violins sound like with wood from more 'recent' trees, and b.) Send a modern-day luthier back in time to the 1700's and see what kind of resulting tone would come from that luthier's efforts using wood from that era.

I seem to remember - bottom line - that other violin makers of Stradivari's era made wonderful sounding instruments as well, but nothing to compare with his.

Ain't speculation wonderful? #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Rick Schmidlin]

I have heard many strads have replaced neck's done in the 19th century.Does anyone know about this? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[James P]

Speculation wonderful?
Sure, if you're a dealer. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

I saw that guy take a 50s Strat apart on Antique Road Show. #
He used a Swiss Army knife...

[Lefty&French]

I have heard many strads have replaced neck's done in the 19th century.Does anyone know about this? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Sure; they were "baroque" necks and were converted same way I think as F12 were converted in F5.

[grandmainger]

And I've heard it speculated that the wood used in those Strads was harvested from trees which grew during the 'mini ice-age' and had very small and dense growth rings, and which positively affected the sounds of those particular violins.
I too saw the show on TV about that. I also had a chat with the music instrument keeper at the Paris Science Museum about that.

The problem with the wood growth speculation is that we know Stradivari used many different trees, and on many occasions used parts of trees only, the rest of the wood being used by many of the several dozens of luthiers in the region. Most of them used trees from the same forest, yet most did not manage results anywhere near as good...

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Germain

[Chadmills]

As far as I know all authenticated Stradivari violins have had the neck conversion from baroque to modern setup. Not that different to converting a mandolin from 12th fret crosspiece to 15th! The 19th century neck is longer and raked back more, so the bridge is higher. The bass bar (like bass side tonebar!) has to be strengthened to cope with the extra pressure.

What does it say about Stradivari's "genius" that all his instruments have been altered to a setup he never envisaged? Until that change came, Stainer's instruments were more highly valued. (Compare with the issue of Loar "tap tuning" at a different pitch than we use today?)

I'm sure it's not the whole answer, but I think the fact that Strads have often been played by the best players, and set up by the best luthiers, makes a significant difference. There are "collectors'" Strads that are dogs tonewise.
Tom

[Potosimando]

So...if it's not baroque, then don't fix it?

[pathfinder]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Lefty&French]

Not translated, I think; but worth the effort...

"Tribulations d'un stradivarius en Amérique"
Frédéric Chaudière (Author and Master luthier)
wrote this book because in 1998, N. Brainin from the Amadeus Quartet asked him to make a copy of his Gibson Stradivarius of 1713. This violin, known in the trade for being one of the most beautiful Stradivarius is also world famous since its story made the front page of the New York Times. Stolen in 1936, it was played for 50 years in several jazz clubs of the eastern coast of United States by the thief that eventually used it as an ash tray .

The book is about the violin's life, since the falling of the tree in 1706 until today.
Stradivari, Einstein, Vivaldi and even Jimmy Hendrix are some of the actors of this story.

Published by Actes-Sud editions in Febuary 2005, "Tribulations d'un Stradivarius en Amérique" was welcomed by unanimous critics

[Lefty&French]

a "Gibson Strad"!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[testore]

Loar wasn't a builder, he headed up a factory.Stradivari was an incredable maker. Here's one I have for sale now....try 4 million.A very famous one made in 1719.

[Lefty&French]

1719 too. This one wasn't stolen...

[Chadmills]

"Loar wasn't a builder, he headed up a factory"
Odd, isn't it, that a number of noted Cremonese makers were apparently doing nothing at the same time as Antonio S was producing amazing numbers of instruments.
(Source - "The Strad" magazine.)
Tom

[VictorLouis]

I've got a violinist in my church. She also teaches music and the violin. While it was absolutely NO shock for me to picture her instrument at $4K, the bow is quite another matter. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

She educated me that the bow has a great deal of influence on the tone. Her bow was $2K, ALONE! She said that it's not at all unusual for pros with 6-figure instruments to wield 5-figure bows.

[fredfrank]

Here's a Loar that fetched more than a #million dollars . . .

(and it's not even in very good condition)

[Lefty&French]

Mmmmhh! Is this the original one or Gary's copy? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jim Rowland]

And I thought my 30 dollar tortoise pick was a many splendored thing!
Jim

[Santiago]

The Strad I twice played was worth every penny. The think had an inner voice of its own.

[Lefty&French]

You played a Strad? Twice?

[jk245]

I recently visited a New York City string instrument dealer who sells and rents mostly violin family orchestral instruments.
In the course of discussion with the salesman I asked how much someone would have to spend on a 'decent violin'.
He looked at me kinda funny for a few seconds and asked, 'do you mean an investment violin?' 'No', I said 'a playable one'.
His answer was that a good professional violin intended for advanced students could start at $30,000, and orchestral instruments had no real starting point but $125,000 was not unusual.
I wonder how much his really good 'investment' instruments sell for?

(My last comment to him was that for $125,000 you can purchase a really NICE mandolin).

[testore]

Lefty,
I'm not that good. It's the real deal.
Chadmills,
There was a lot of work being done at the Strad workshop by every employable violin maker, but they are mostly unnoted....lost to history. Dwayne Rosengard is unearthing some amazing things from archives in Cremona. There is still a lot that he is figuring out. Strad did run a factory of sorts,I agree, but 17th and 18th century as opposed to 2oth century. Big difference.

[FlawLaw]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[Lefty&French]

Lefty,
I'm not that good. It's the real deal.
Mandolin speaking, I knew... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
The picture I sent is "Zahn" strad.

[B. T. Walker]

This commentary (http://www.nytimes.com:80/2007/04/07/opinion/07marchese.html?th&emc=th) in today's NY Times recaps this thread and reveals the sale price of the Strad. Ouch!