"Violinists blast holes in violin experiment"

**** I think the new instruments have proven that, objectively, the Strads and Guaneris are worth millions more only because of their rarity, not because of their sound is millions better.****

Yes, it is amazing and fortuitous that one could get "close" to the sound of the best for a lot less money. But how does one put a price on the best? To a great artist, having the very best is a no-brainer and easily justifies the expense.

Excellent observations, Theaudiotweak. Thanks for sharing.

Audiotweak, I agree, and apparently the eyes are the most important after the ears. I wonder why some people choose to listen in the dark or with their eyes closed. Doesn't make sense does it?

I have read that violinists spend hours, days, weeks "working in" their instruments in order to be able to get the response & feel they are looking for. That is if someone, even another virtuoso, picked up Nigel Kennedy's violin and played it for a few minutes, then it may take Kennedy hours/days/weeks of playing before the instrument is back to where he wants it.
If this is true then the test really doesn't prove much as the tone & feel of the violins will be changing every time someone plays it.

My endpin designs actually seem to set up new vibrational patterns within the wooden body of the instrument. My pins are more reactive by design as well as serve as a method for mechanical grounding.

The very cool thing about all of this is that the wood has a memory even though the materials maybe a few hundred years old. A new pin can fire new vibrational patterns and you can sense all of this happen with your very ears over a matter of minutes. The cello will grow in physical size and stature. You will hear the tone become more extended in both directions and it will take on more bloom and focus at the same time. The first time I recorded this by accident it almost floored me. The other thing that happens goes back to my first point. When the musician took my pin out of the same cello and put his original pin back and played the same passage the cello sounded the same. This to me was a huge disappointment until as he played longer I could hear the instrument collapse and revert to its original sound shape. That only took a few minutes. I found this remarkable that dead wood could still have new pathways of sonic convergence align and dissapate all caused by the introduction of a new material and geometry.

As Dover wrote a musician's playing style probably would be retained with in the instrument until the next player came along and played his style into the same wooden body.How long does it take to pour the old influence out and pour the new influence into the body? I found with my devices that this can happen in minutes but improves greatly over time..became more whole and organic. With no added device to the playing of the violin the only variations would be the musician's technique and the his or her's bone strutcure

Based on my experience with the cello that they do have a variable acoustic memory and because of that I would take no stock in the methods or findings of the violins under test.

Tomcy6...to be honest...yes, I believe I can.
A few years ago, I went to an audio store to hear a particular Integrated amplifier on a pair of speakers that I'm very familiar with.
About 30 seconds into the audition, I asked:
"Are you using Audioquest speaker wires and or interconnects?"
The salesman was floored, as he knew I couldn't/hadn't seen the cables or interconnects.
Speaker cables and interconnects can, and sometimes do, offer very subtle changes, nuances to or FROM the sound.
Generally, at least for me, errors of commission are easier to quantify than errors of simple omission-I suppose this would fall under the topic of 'It's not what's right, but what's wrong', that creates dissatisfaction in an audio system.

The degree to which I can/do identify differences is fairly constant...the variable nature of cables, again, depending on their sonic character and the aforementioned omission/commission characteristics would be the keys to my ability to hear it.
Generally, longer sessions make those evaluations easier for me...as I do NOT grow accustomed to the sound...the longer I hear it incorrectly, the more I dislike it.

Blind tests, again, to me, are easy...I grew to become good at it, but it took many months/years of losing that 'angst' most people seem to experience when 'staged' with such tests/comparisons.

I hope this makes sense...great question.

Larry