Because it would still be impossible to replicate and it’s irrelevant anyway because blind testing indicates that the difference is perceived and not real
If the reason for Strads’ sound centers around wood from trees affected by poor seasonal growth during a bad climate period, it might be possible to produce comparable sound through wood from trees experiencing periods of drought/heat stress.
I really want to hear a Strad played by an amateur who is competent, but nowhere near the skill of a Josh Bell. Then compare it to Josh playing the best modern violin around.
What I expect is that the amateur will not sound special on a Strad, and Josh will sound great on practically any violin.
Data point - my wife has played a couple of Strads. When she was in violin-making school, occasionally violin dealers would stop by when in town. One time 2 guys stopped by with a couple of Strads and let the players play them.
I love my wife, but she is no more than a mediocre fiddler. Perhaps pretty decent high school level. She said they were beautifully set up, so as far as that goes, they were pleasant to play. And there was the nervous factor of holding something that expensive, old and fragile.
To her, they were just average good violins. At her level, she wants an instrument that is “easy” to play. That makes her sound good. She lacks the skill to make the instrument sound its best. So, (in an imaginary world) for her playing, she would not choose to play a Strad.
Side note, the dealers needed a ride to the airport, so my wife drove them. After, I observed that there was NO WAY our car insurance would have covered any accident befalling those 2 fiddles.
Just 1 not terribly informative anecdote.
My partner plays cello …very early in her learning curve - she go a second much more expensive and cello more suited to her size but I was shocked at what she paid for her new bow.
Taking up her first instrument at 65 and now 5 years in I’m pretty impressed tho her scales drive me crazy.
My hearing is going, only 25% left in mid-range so hard to pick out differences tho better with the hearing aids in. ( what a mugs game that industry is ) 
There’s no doubt that violin sound quality varies in discernible tiers—any skilled violinist can distinguish them—and Stradivari violins unquestionably belong at the pinnacle. But I’d argue that the most extraordinary performances come from those who not only play a Strad but are fully aware they’re playing one.
Why? For one, only top-tier violinists typically have access to such instruments, so exceptional skill is already in play. More crucially, people naturally devote extra care to what they revere. A master sushi chef could turn out respectable sushi with an off-the-shelf knife, but hand them a Masamoto Sohonten knife, and they’ll likely refine their craft even further. A concert pianist seated at a Steinway or Bosendorfer , rather than a modest grand, may tap into a richer well of expression, drawn in by the instrument’s unparalleled resonance and reputation. The prestige of a tool inspires a deeper sense of commitment and artistry.
This effect isn’t unique to music or knife skills. A painter working with premium Kolinsky sable brushes or high-grade pigments tends to pour more precision into every stroke. Similarly, a professional photographer wielding a Leica or Hasselblad is likely to approach their work with heightened deliberation, simply because they recognize the camera’s caliber. In every case, the artist’s expertise merges with the tool’s prestige, driving them to reach their highest potential.
I just surveyed the employees at one of the factories that manufacture Essence of Classic Violin Odor to find out who’s ordering all the 55 gallon drums of their product. They indicated certain ‘orchestras’ located in Vladivostok and Sicily account for several thousand gallons worth of orders every year. Seems suspicious to me.
I’d like to do a minor hijack to ask a question I’ve had for a while. Obviously, any violinist who owns or has access to a high-end instrument like a Stradivarius is going to be using it to play classical music. I once heard, however, that the only difference between a violin and a fiddle is the type of music played on them.
So my question is, has anyone ever played “Orange Blossom Special” on a Stradivarius?
Here is a video of Augustin Hadelich playing Orange Blossom Special. According to Wikipedia he doesn’t play a Stradivarius but a Guarneri which is considered similar level of quality.
That is true.
Itzhak Perlman has played bluegrass.. Pretty sure the first tune is Bill Cheatum. I THINK Itzhak plays a Strad - but not sure if that is one.
And folk like YoYo Ma and Edgar Meier play blue/newgrass on fine instruments.
As someone who plays a lot of bluegrass, you can pretty readily tell the difference between a traditional fiddler and a classically trained violinist.
I would expect that of any instrument, really, and expandable to many different types of pursuit. At the highest levels, though, the nuances may make a difference to the performer.
Pianos versus violins is an interesting comparison.
Perhaps the most important attribute a Steinway 274 D has is that it is consistent. Consistently very good, sure. But if you are the typical concert pianist, you get off a plane at the start of the week, rehearsals mid week, and performances at the end of the week. And repeat. Something you are going to really appreciate is knowing what you are going to be playing on. Bonus if the rehearsal room has a nice piano too.
Concert pianos have a limited life. They degrade and after time lose the edge of a new instrument. They are not economic to rebuild - compared to their residual value as a non-concert instrument. So they get turned over. Last time I looked one cost about 150k USD. That was a few years ago, so probably more now.
The standard Steinway D isn’t the “best” piano. As a proud Aussie, I give you Stuart Pianos. I can think of a couple of internationally renowned pianists who love them. But they are not the industry standard.
This underlines the problem with comparisons between violins. A top level violinist (or any string player) is only going to get the best performance from an instrument they know. There is no industry standard violin like there is a piano. As been noted a few times, their bow is more important to them than the instrument. But the vagaries of individual instruments, and particularly those instruments designed with the responsiveness needed for concert performance - those instruments vary, and need time to get to know and sometimes tame.
Sadly this makes sensible comparisons of old versus new very difficult. Any simple metric of “better” is almost certainly useless no matter what. A player’s style and approach to an instrument can mean more than an absolute quality embodied in the instrument itself.
I thought the difference was that a violin has strings, but a fiddle has strangs.
Bob Weir said that the difference between violin and fiddle is intention.
Thank you. I suppose that never came up on my searches for “Orange Blossom Special” and Stradivarius because he’s not using a Stradivarius.
@Dinsdale I should have known that Itzhak Perlman would have played bluegrass given the chance. I’ll have to check out YoYo Ma and Edgar Meier, too.
Check out their Goat Rodeo Sessions albums.. W/ Chris Thile as well.
Not exactly my cup of tea. I prefer the bluegrassier parts, before they go further astray.
IIRC Yo Yo Ma plays a Strad, tho I presume he has several instruments. Edgar Meyer (previously misspelled) plays an 18th century Italian bass. Nick Lloyd has made a couple of copies of that bass. (I played Paul Kowert’s, but couldn’t get much out of it as he has it tuned weirdly.)
That’s the only absolute difference. Violins typically have “gut” strings (now some sort of synthetic, I imagine) while fiddles typically have steel strings. But of course, you could play bluegrass on gut strings or Beethoven on steel.
Certainly steel strings are played on violins in high school orchestras. Maybe it’s different at the professional level, but that was never mentioned to me in school. It was always a style difference, not an instrument one.
I’ve read this, but question how “typical” this distinction is in practice. I know many classical and bluegrass/oldtime fiddlers. Most of them use the same types of strings. Might be different among pros…
Often a fiddle set up for bluegrass will have a flatter bridge.
Here’s someone who claims to be able to tell the difference.
