In addition, the "Stradvarius" sound has been traced to the density of the wood due to the prolonged droughts that produced it. If we use similarly dense wood,

In addition, the "Stradvarius" sound has been traced to the density of the wood due to the prolonged droughts that produced it. If we use similarly dense wood, modern violins have similar "quality". Furthermore, almost all of the Stradivarius violins have had some level of modifications or repairs to bring them up to a more "modern" standard. Is that still a "Strad"? In addition, wood is known to degrade over time. No matter how good the Stradivarius violins were, the longer they exist the less good they become.