Recreating old perfection

From The New York Times: "For hundreds of years, the best violin players have almost unanimously said they prefer a Stradivari or a Guarneri instrument. Why nobody has been able to replicate that sound remains one of the most enduring mysteries of instrument building. A new study suggests that answers may lie in the wood: Mineral treatments, followed by centuries of aging and transformation from playing, might give these instruments unique tonal qualities. 'If you compare Stradivari's maple with modern, high-quality maple wood that is almost the same, the two woods are very different,' said Hwan-Ching Tai, a professor of chemistry at National Taiwan University."