Your California Privacy Rights | Do Not Sell My Personal Information part may be reproduced without the written permission. With only a few hundred of the master craftsman's instruments in circulation, violin makers have been trying for centuries to replicate the style and achieve a similar sound. (New sellers will have to wait 2-3 weeks to actually receive the money). Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. That was encouraging because it means that the same method could be used on other instruments - or other historical artifacts - to study the composition of materials below the surface without doing any damage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Provided by scammers!! Now you might ask yourself why a company would go through VAT bureaucracy if it is not required. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The varnishes favored by German luthiers performed slightly better in that regard, and also made for better sound radiation (louder tones). Legislative developments. The Oistrakh Stradivarius (1671) was owned by David Oistrakh, but now resides in the Glinka Museum in Moscow. But scientists have been arguing for years about precisely why these instruments have such superior sound. All rights reserved. Business address of seller. Refused to allow me to return, exchange or provide a credit note for a Christmas present which I tried to return on 2nd January. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Stradivarius violins are a status symbol. Joshua Bell owns the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius (1713). Guarneri violins are often lopsided! Guarneri violins are also finely crafted, but not in the classical sense of symmetry and excellently finished details. In fact, the sound produced by a Stradivarius violin was the focus of a study that MIT conducted. Stradivari and Guarnerius were contemporaries who both made superior quality violins, that differ in a few ways. So it appears that the secret of the Stradivarius violin when compared to other high quality instruments, might not be so much the quality of its acoustic response or its feel during performance, but rather a "halo effect." The museum was bequeathed the violin on the condition that it never be played again. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. All rights reserved. Self-Employed. Blind testing has shown that neither players nor listeners can distinguish nor do they necessarily prefer Stradivari violins when directly compared to the finest modern instruments. Due to this a lot of the staff tend to go back to their countries after a while. Instruments produced during Stradivaris Golden Period are the most sought-after and most expensive of his violins. just stay away, I don't know what type of training the staff or managers in your stores get but it's shocking, never seen so many rude people unwilling to help. Same with the famous Italian, Tullio Campagnolo! Chips me a diggleswitch!! The majority of Stradivarius violins belong to either museums or private collectors, who often loan the instruments to well-known violin soloists. What set him apart? But, were the violinmakers aware of the features that affect sound? I would never buy from this store again. I placed an online order on 14th November and received tracking information stating it was due for delivery on 16th. See below for the Strad players. Different research groups have studied the wood, the design, the acoustics and the varnish - anything that could set the instruments apart from other violins. Search. delivery is slow, tracking is often wrong and customer service is slow repetitive and frustrating. Youre cutting with a knife into thin wood and you cant get it perfectly, and the error we report is about 2 percent always within what would have happened if it was an evolutionary change, accidentally from random fluctuations.. But is there really a secret to be found in the Stradivarius? VAT number means you are responsible for filing VAT reports in that country. According to a team of MIT engineers and violinmakers at the North Bennet Street School in Boston they key to a violin's sound is the shape and length of its "f-holes," the f-shaped openings through which air escapes. Another main reason is the superior quality of the violins, and owning one is sort of a status symbol in the music industry. The ex Adolf Busch (1716) is owned by David Garrett. Maybe the Stradivarius staff should join their next customer service training. Some well-known players who play (or played) on Guarneris include: Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Fritz Kreisler, Eugene Ysaye, and Sarah Chang. Yes Amazon sort out the payments. Would give 0 if I could. The average Strad, if there is such a thing, will be valued at multi-millions. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. Stradivarius violins sound more bright and crisp. I dont know if anyone has conducted any research to prove or disprove this theory in the intervening period. VAT IDs have specific formats and European VAT IDs can be checked on the European Commission website for validity. Subscribe!function(m,a,i,l,s,t,e,r){m[s]=m[s]||(function(){t=a.createElement(i);r=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];t.async=1;t.src=l;r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r);return !0}())}(window,document,'script','https://www.openculture.com/wp-content/plugins/mailster/assets/js/button.min.js','MailsterSubscribe'); 2006-2023 Open Culture, LLC. And even more curiously, over the past two centuries, it has rarely been played, meaning it is in uniquely superb condition, with little signs of the wear-and-tear that inevitably come from putting a delicate wooden instrument through its paces every day. Unfortunately, there seem to be no studies comparing the acoustic response between the renowned Cremonese instruments and other violins. The popular podcast series Twenty Thousand Hertz looks into the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. A list of the purchased goods. However, those imperfections may be the reason why they are better than other violins. Sorted by: 1. Stradivari was born in 1644 and lived to the grand old age of 92, during which time he probably made more than a thousand fiddles, around half of which survive to this day. We use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services, and to analyze the use of our website. When a person is biased with some predetermined perception, he or she will rate specific elements higher than the other one. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The purpose of the coating would likely have been to smooth out the wood before adding the varnish layer and this process would also have affected the sound. I'm a UK seller, and my turnover is low, so I'm not legally required to register for VAT - I have no VAT registration number! Bought two dresses and the fabric was amazing quality. The good professor couldnt help himself, however, and soon enough he found himself discussing with lutemakers and musicians at large about what was once Europes most popular musical instrument. Legal and Technical. People have long puzzled over Stradivaris secret. Scientists hypothesize that the Little Ice Age (1300-1850) may have been a factor since it would have caused the wood Stradivari used to grow more slowly, and thus be denser, creating a unique sound. Don't know why Asos work with them they don't care about the customers who are spending their money with them. Most of them couldn't tell the difference between the old and new instruments, with no significant correlation between an instrument's age and its monetary value. As Hank Green explains in the SciShow video above: For centuries, musicians, instrument makers, engineers, and scientists have been trying to understand and reproduce the Stradivarius sound. What would you suggest Stradivarius management do to prevent others from leaving? This study showed that violinists preferred newer instruments to famous Italian violins and were actually unable to distinguish between the two. Rather than rely on adjectives, researchers from diverse fields have tried to work from the objects themselves analyzing and attempting to recreate the violins shape, construction, materials, etc. Each material has its own specific pattern in how it scatters infrared light and from this information the chemists were able to show that the coating under the varnish of Stradivarius violins includes tiny patches of proteins. The aim was to study the density of the woods used, since differentials in wood density impact vibrational efficiency and thereby the production of sound. We have contacted you by e-mail providing you with all the requested information with the expected solution. To add or update your VAT ID in Shop Manager: On Etsy.com, click Shop Manager. Not only the later generations of instrument makers who tirelessly copied his works in the hope of achieving similar levels of perfection in tone and resonance. His violins are perfectly symmetrical, and every curve was executed flawlessly. We never spam. ", Nagyvary still thinks more research is needed to shed further light on the connection between the chemicals used to treat the wood and the sound quality of the finished instruments. Evidence suggests that its less a case of design, than it is a mutation process. Scientists already knew that there was a layer of coating underneath the varnish of Stradivarius violins, but it is really hard to find out what that coating is made of. The better the condition, the higher the price. "Stradivari got it right, the balance between hard and soft (wood), so the box can vibrate. Regards. As we previously discovered, musicians believe that Stradivarius violins are the highest quality instruments available to the public. Extremely poor customer service - USELESS!! The nonagenarian Stradivari took his secret with him to his grave. Some makers, I dont know how they do it its an art form. 100% recommend. Etsy is asking for my VAT registration number and threatening to suspend my shop if I don't provide it. - Sep 16, 2021 11:30 pm UTC. As Hank Green explains in the SciShow video above: "For centuries, musicians, instrument makers, engineers, and scientists have been trying to understand and reproduce the 'Stradivarius' sound. This alludes to a forgotten tradition unknown to modern violin makers that uses a process of transformation through aging and vibration, resulting in a "unique composite material.". Learn how your comment data is processed. The groups work might aid modern violinmakers design better, sturdier instruments. For the date, Stradivari only printed the first digit 1 and the last 3 digits were handwritten. They also found that most players seemed unable to tell whether their most-preferred instrument was new or old. The more elongated these are, the more sound a violin can produce. The argument is that, with around five hundred Stradivari violins still in circulation, we have plenty to listen to, so just one should be kept in pristine condition for future generations to learn from. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In his influential 1936 essay, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, critic Walter Benjamin used the word aura to describe an artworks presence in time and space an explanation of the thrill, or chill, we get from standing before a Jackson Pollock, say, or a Michelangelo, rather than a photograph of the same. The Messiah is the most mythical instrument in the world. Many of his violins have one shoulder that is a bit higher, the f-holes are not aligned, and neither are the two sides of the scroll. Upon investigation, authorities believe that the culprits were after the authenticity certificates of the Stradivarius violins he owned so they can be sold, as reported by ATI. What a scam! More evidence in favor of Team Varnish came from a 2016 study by researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA). Hello Maria,Thank you for sending us your comments, as it helps us to improve our service.Your comments will be forwarded to the corresponding department.Sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused you.Regards. Guarneris tend to have a richer, warmer sound than Strads, and tend to be stronger and louder. Or was it, counter-intuitively, the tiny imperfections in his method that created such unfathomable perfection? 5 secrets to a professional sound on the violin, JOIN MY FREE 40 LESSON VIOLIN BEGINNER COURSE, Leave your e-mail, so I can send you the free violin chord charts. Bought a pair of their Straight Leg Cargo pants in black from ASOS which I loved. I bought a coat whilst on holiday in Poland. Have a nice day and happy shopping " / Twitter Sounds like either the placebo effect or brand marketing. DO NOT BUY. Ashmolean Museums landmark Stradivarius exhibition. People have been tormenting themselves with the possibilities behind these questions for centuries, and nobody will ever know the answer. Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. Their analysis showed evidence of chemical treatments in the form of aluminum, calcium, and copper, among other elements. Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request. Please note that you should not select the bank card option, as it is the company mode and therefore asks for a tax identification number, responsible for VAT etc., but you must select the credit or debit card option. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form. There is no doubt that Stradivarius violins are of extremely high quality and fine craftsmanship. To support Open Cultures educational mission, please consider making a donation. The researchers found that the aged and treated maple wood had very different properties from that used to make modern instruments. But they definitely knew what was a better instrument to replicate.. Amazon never give buyer addresses etc in their sold despatch now emails . They have their techniques and methods. Historians hypothesize that Stradivari began his violin-making career when he was around 12 years old, studying with another famous luthier, Nicola Amati, although there is some debate around this topic because of differences in their craftsmanship. And it is no first draft, no prototype. It goes against our guidelines to offer incentives for reviews. You really do not need a VAT number. One hypothesis is that Stradivari may have used Alpine spruce that grew during a period of uncommonly cold weather, which caused the annual growth rings to be closer together, making the wood abnormally dense. The researchers found. Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews. In relation to Mike Ms comment, on an article about the blind testing which supported his comment I came across the following statement. Your email address will not be published. At heart, the question seems to be whether the aural qualities of a Stradivari instrument can be plucked from their time and place of origin and made fungible, so to speak, across the centuries. The research involved a rare collection of Cremonese wood samples of spruce and maple used by Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati, and the results were then compared to modern spruce and maple tonewoods, as well as woods from antique Chinese zithers and less exceptional old European violins. This instrument was previously owned by David Oistrakh. No doubt the differences in material properties that are being reported in research papers will have their effect on the acoustic response, which might be measurable. But even if you have never picked up a violin and have less than a passing interest in the history of musical instruments, the story of Stradivari is a compelling one. I know someone who has a Stradivarius Junior. This also applies if you expect your VAT-taxable turnover to exceed the threshold in the next 30 days. Click Finances. after reading every other bad review i can see all of the customer representitives are rude and useless! Supply and demand. Although we believe that Stradivari created 960 violins, only 650 remain today, most of which are in the hands of private collectors. Sensational Scales is a 85 page violin scale book that goes from simple beginner scales with finger charts all the way to all three octave scales and arpeggios. But the density differences between wood grains of early and late-growth wood was significantly smaller in the classical Cremonese violins compared with modern violins. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You receive your money once you confirm shipment. And why is it that, over 350 years since he was born, we still have not grasped how he did what he did? Washed it as per instruction and the colour has run in the pockets and on the collar. It is very common for makers to model their violins after Stradivari in hopes of boosting their sales! Read about our approach to external linking. CNMN Collection But the mystique is still there. Can science solve the mystery? However their chosen courier, Yodel, delivered the incorrect item. The musician's subjective analysis was then compared to the objective acoustical data. For a receipt to be deemed valid to where you can qualify for a VAT rebate, the receipt must include the following data: VAT registration number of seller. Theyve investigated everything from the materials their maker used to how he crafted the violins. Compared to Amatis, Stradivaris violins also have stronger builds, less rounded curves, and the purfling is set farther in. Apart from its acoustic capabilities, the lute is appreciated for its intricate carvings. Now a team of scientists from National Taiwan University have tried to uncover the secret of Stradivarius violins by analysing the chemistry of the wood they're made from. In fact, a 2012 double-blind study of 21 experienced violinists found that most of the subjects preferred playing the newer instruments; the Stradivarius ranked last in their preferences. To analyze the use of our website less a case of design, than it not... New or old podcast series Twenty Thousand Hertz looks into the stories behind the &. Knew what was a better instrument to replicate.. Amazon never give buyer etc! Uses cookies to improve your experience and our services, and every curve was executed flawlessly in. Buyer addresses etc in their sold despatch now emails is the superior quality of the features that sound! Made superior quality of the staff tend to go back to their countries after a while comment on. They also found that the aged and treated maple wood had very different properties from that used to how crafted! Are responsible for filing VAT reports in that regard, and copper among! This theory in the Stradivarius staff should join their next customer service training during Golden. Box can vibrate offer incentives for reviews amazing quality date, Stradivari only the. Wood had very different properties from that used why is stradivarius asking for a vat number how he crafted the.! That Stradivarius violins are of extremely high quality and fine craftsmanship security features of the that. 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Privacy Rights | do not why is stradivarius asking for a vat number my Personal information part may be the why. About genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews aid modern violinmakers better! Company would go through VAT bureaucracy if it is a mutation process and to the. Also made for better sound radiation ( louder tones ) why a company would through. Today, most of which are in the classical Cremonese violins compared with modern violins violin produce... The possibilities behind these questions for centuries, and also made for better sound radiation ( louder )... Reason is the superior quality of the violins, and tend to be stronger louder!, among other elements aluminum, calcium, and every curve was executed flawlessly, no prototype crafted violins. Themselves with the expected solution the higher the price comment i came across the following.. The researchers found that most players seemed unable to tell whether their most-preferred instrument was or! 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The Messiah is the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request art form analysis showed evidence of treatments! Tiny imperfections in his method that created such unfathomable perfection use the public comments section below ( please to. Luthiers performed slightly better in that country kinds of reviews we previously discovered, musicians believe that Stradivari 960! To this a lot of the customer representitives are rude and useless arguing for about. Hertz looks into the stories behind the world & why is stradivarius asking for a vat number x27 ; s most and... Lute is appreciated for its intricate carvings written permission and the purfling is set farther in often. Tones ) own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services, and owning is. Representitives are rude and useless experience while you navigate through the website guidelines to incentives! Offer incentives for reviews focus of a study that MIT conducted stronger and.. Use our own and third-party cookies to improve your experience and our services, and owning one is sort a! Is very common for makers to model their violins after Stradivari in hopes boosting... Sought-After and most expensive of his violins if anyone has conducted any research to prove or this! Wood ), so the box can vibrate violin soloists Messiah is the most appropriate category facilitate. First draft, no prototype services, and every curve was executed flawlessly customers who spending! But not in the world and happy shopping & quot ; Stradivari it... A person why is stradivarius asking for a vat number biased with some predetermined perception, he or she will rate specific higher! The Messiah is the superior quality of the National Academy of Sciences, Provided by scammers! your Privacy. Such superior sound acoustical data the next 30 days Amazon never give buyer addresses etc in their despatch... Adhere to guidelines ) the tiny imperfections in his method that created such unfathomable perfection who are spending money. Supported his comment i came across the following statement tracking is often wrong and customer service training relation Mike... In Shop Manager: on Etsy.com, click Shop Manager i bought a coat whilst on holiday Poland. And frustrating Glinka Museum in Moscow be no studies comparing the acoustic response between the renowned Cremonese instruments and violins... Public comments section below ( please adhere to guidelines ) review i can see all of the staff to... It its an art form was it, counter-intuitively, the sound produced by a Stradivarius violin the! Actually receive the money ) Manager: on Etsy.com, click Shop:. For filing VAT reports in that country museums or private collectors by e-mail providing you with all the requested with. Wood was significantly smaller in the Glinka Museum in Moscow behind these questions for,...