[thedoc (OP)]

Tests comparing Stradivari with modern-made violins failed to find any sonic advantage of the celebrated Strad...

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[CliffordK]

What did violins and cellos look like before the mid 1600's and Antonio Stradivari?

As I understand it, most modern violins and cellos are essentially Stradivarius clones, so it would stand to reason that there would be little difference between them and the original Stradivarius instruments. 

[chris]

Good point! I shall put that to Joseph Curtin, the co-author, when I speak with him tomorrow!

[Don_1]

I was under the impression that the mellow sound of the Strad was due to the close grain of the wood used. This came as a result of using timber from trees which had grown during a prolonged colder period.

[CliffordK]

I did find a note on the history of the violin.  Apparently the first violins were invented in the early 1500's, a little over a century before Antonio Stradivari started making them. 

The violins from the mid 1500's have a striking resemblance to the modern instruments, for example this Amati from about 1558. [img float=right]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Andrea_Amati_violin_-_Met_Museum_NY.jpg/121px-Andrea_Amati_violin_-_Met_Museum_NY.jpg[/img].

Apparently there have been a number of changes in the violins since the 1600's including lengthening the neck by about 1cm and lengthening and tilting the fingerboards.   

The question then would be whether the Stradivarius violins have also been modified to modern specifications.

Nonetheless, the comparison wasn't made between an elite Stradivarius violin and a dime store violin, but rather between similar top of the class instruments.