Is it true the older violins get the better they sound?!
Question: Is it true the older violins get the better they sound!?
if so whyWww@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
Not really!. All instruments need to be broken in - they need to be played for a while to let the materials settle down, but once that's done they don't really sound any better than from that point!.
However, if you have a violin which was a masterpiece 200 years ago, but wasn't played for 30 years, chances are it's merely good now!. String instruments especially need to be played, and what's more they need to be kept in tune!. The tension of the strings keeps the instrument in precisely the correct shape, get rid of that and it is liable to warp - even if only slightly!. Plus if it's not played then chances are it's been neglected, something which is bad news for any instrument!.
Perhaps the myth arose because violins, if treated well, don't get WORSE with age!. A hundred year old piano is likely to be a piece of complete junk unless it has had a major overhaul; a hundred year old violin may have needed nothing more than to be kept in tune in order to sound exactly as it did 100 years ago!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
However, if you have a violin which was a masterpiece 200 years ago, but wasn't played for 30 years, chances are it's merely good now!. String instruments especially need to be played, and what's more they need to be kept in tune!. The tension of the strings keeps the instrument in precisely the correct shape, get rid of that and it is liable to warp - even if only slightly!. Plus if it's not played then chances are it's been neglected, something which is bad news for any instrument!.
Perhaps the myth arose because violins, if treated well, don't get WORSE with age!. A hundred year old piano is likely to be a piece of complete junk unless it has had a major overhaul; a hundred year old violin may have needed nothing more than to be kept in tune in order to sound exactly as it did 100 years ago!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Old violins from around the time of Stradivari were built using tone woods that grew slowly (the last mini ice-age)!. It is thought that the tight growth rings in the trees used -- along with superior workmanship and natural varnishes all work together to make the best instruments!.
If you were to buy a cheap violin with the idea that it will age well and be worth more in the future just isn't going to happen!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
If you were to buy a cheap violin with the idea that it will age well and be worth more in the future just isn't going to happen!.Www@Enter-QA@Com