In 1985 he turned to violin-making instead. Just what makes a good violin is a mystery he has been puzzling over ever since. The flex of the wood as the bow bends the strings, which in turn rock the bridge, is crucial, reflecting its carving and preparation. Some of the allure of older violins seems based on myth, Curtin said. Theories about crystalline changes in old wood, the ring the wood should make when tapped, or that old masters knew lost secrets simply don't hold up well under scientific analysis, he said.
Traditionalists are slow to embrace any change, however.
Moving the violin bridge a fraction of an inch seems to make no difference in sound as measured by scientific instruments and yet can make an instrument virtually unsellable, Curtin noted. On the other hand, he said, instruments that are played well actually seem to improve. The rational part of me is embarrassed for admitting that. New violin wood tends to be translucent when carved to its final thickness, he observed, while old violins are more opaque. That suggests traditional violin wood was treated in water or chemicals.