Conclusions from Further Measurements on Old and New Violins
Frank A. Saunders · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1939
The response curves of nearly fifty violins have now been obtained, of which about a third are old instruments and over ten are of the highest quality. It is possible to pick several pairs of curves that closely resemble each other, one violin being old and the other new. Increasingly strong evidence is obtained indicating that the tone quality (for prolonged tones) of old violins can be duplicated in new instruments. A definite advantage possessed by the old instruments is that they respond for a less expenditure of work than new ones. This makes it easier for a player to execute rapid passages on an old violin than on a new, which in part justifies the high prices these violins command. Only a few listeners with the keenest ears are able to detect this characteristic. The majority are unable to tell whether a good player is using an old or a new instrument. “Blindfold” tests on audiences confirm this conclusion. The “carrying power” of violins is interpreted as an effect due to strong high harmonics which enable a violin tone to escape being masked by the accompaniment. It is connected with the “formant” mentioned by Backhaus and others as characteristic of the best violins, but it is found in both new and old instruments whose tone is characterized by musicians as “brilliant.” It is not found in instruments which are regarded as of a sweeter tone, more suitable for chamber music.