Mythology of Stradivari's Superior Sound Debunked by Prominent British Scientist

Press release
Source: Media PR Group

According to Colin Gough, a prominent Professor of Physics at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, "Science has not provided any convincing evidence for the existence or otherwise of any measurable property that would set the Cremonese instruments apart from the finest violins made by skilled craftsman today."

"Some leading soloists do occasionally play on modern instruments, however, the really top soloists and not surprisingly violin dealers who have vested interest in maintaining the Cremonese legend of intrinsic superiority, remain utterly unconvinced."

Gough also reveals that the primary reason behind this misconception is the fact that some violin dealers and top soloists have a vested monetary interest in maintaining these ideas of the "old being better than the new." Racketeering in the violin business, as with any other fraudulent activity, can usually be traced and exposed by following the money. Because of commercial bribery, forgery, and misrepresentation, violinists are warned to research carefully before buying an instrument to be sure they are not being scammed.

Past examples of these types of scams include the infamous Ponzi scheme involving a United States dealer who was convicted of defrauding numerous customers of millions of dollars for the sale of their instruments. Also the Segleman Caper in Britain where dealers conspired against the owners' estate.

Another disturbing fact is that violin teachers will sometimes receive kick backs as high as 50 percent for referring students to a particular dealer. Many of these recommendations will be based solely on monetary gain for the teacher and not what the student actually wants or needs.

Consumers should be aware of these scams and understand how they work so they can avoid being caught in the middle. A detailed list of scams in the musical instrument industry along with a helpful index of terms and definitions are available to create awareness among violin consumers at http://www.fritz-reuter.com/reports/rin150.htm.