The attempt to replicate the dulcet vibrations of Stradivarius violins has driven many luthiers to madness. What's going to send the rest of them to the looney bin? The fact that fungus is the only way to beat a Strad. Yes, by applying a "soft rot," scientists can reduce the density and recreate the lightness of wood harvested and used during the mini-ice age that was Antonio Stradivarius' hey day. The theory bore out at a recent German forestry competition, when a violin by Swiss maker Michael Rhonheimer—the fungus-treated Opus 58—beat a Stradivarius by a sizable margin in a very serious listening test. [ScienceDaily PopSci]
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Sep 25, 2009 11:00 PM
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The attempt to replicate the dulcet vibrations of Stradivarius violins has driven many luthiers to madness. What's going to send the rest of them to the looney bin? The fact that fungus is the only way to beat a Strad. Yes, by applying a "soft rot," scientists can reduce the density and recreate the lightness of wood harvested and used during the mini-ice age that was Antonio Stradivarius' hey day. The theory bore out at a recent German forestry competition, when a violin by Swiss maker Michael Rhonheimer—the fungus-treated Opus 58—beat a Stradivarius by a sizable margin in a very serious listening test. [ScienceDaily PopSci]
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