The Secret of the Strad's Superiority

Stradivarius violins—300 years old and valued at least $3 million each—are universally recognized as producing the richest sounds. Now, the Daily Telegraph reports, scientists believe they know why. X-rays of several old and new instruments show the wood used by 17th-century violin makers has a more uniform density than modern violins. How that was achieved remains a mystery.

"If you look at the wood you can see patterns of the year rings in the wood," said the Dutch computer scientist who led the study, explaining that less dense rings occur in spring, when trees are growing rapidly, and more dense rings in winter. The density was more consistent in the older models. "I think this is a step forward in trying to reproduce this sound," he said, "But then you need to have a CT scanner. That's the practical problem." (More violin stories.)