Regarding the Sound Quality of Violins and a Scientific Basis for Violin Construction

Response curves, important both for steady sound and transients, give a far‐reaching insight into the objective characteristics of violins: good ones exhibit large amplitudes at low frequencies and small ones at high frequencies, a broad minimum near about 1500 cps, and larger amplitudes between about 2000 and 3000 cps. The musical subjective significance of these physical properties is mentioned briefly. In general, the sound pressure radiated from a violin follows the inverse‐distance law, being independent of frequency. The influence of wood thickness is very important, that of the varnish is comparably small. Pine has a greater damping at high frequencies than at low frequencies. This seems to be a good acoustical reason for making important parts of stringed instruments of pine. Sapwood is better than heartwood. Similarly, some kinds of varnish produce more damping at high frequencies than at low frequencies. If a resonance curve is to be imitated in detail, it is necessary to change carefully the wo...