Quote:
Originally Posted by sclitheroe
I realize its worn down because its 300 years old..what I'm getting at is that if this thing produces a 3.5 million dollar sound, maybe you want to limit wear and tear on it because obviously the tonal qualities on this particular violin are not easily reproduced, and if its damaged or worn out, its gone for good.
You know, bring it out just for special occasions or something.
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An instrument's sound grows in complexity and changes as it's played. The sound of this violin will not be exactly the same as it was 300 years ago, and the reason an instrument is so valuable is in part how it ages. That said, if you stop playing an instrument, the panels will become slightly more rigid over time, and the sound quality decreases. A luthier I was speaking to recently told me how he's always interested when an instrument is brought back for repairs to see how an instrument's sound has changed since he built it, and the more heavily used instruments almost always take on a better sound.