On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 11:51:09 -0700, playon wrote:
On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 14:15:02 GMT, "U-CDK_CHARLES\\Charles" "Charles
wrote:

On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 01:55:07 GMT, Angelo Campanella
wrote:
ScotFraser wrote:

A few years ago logs found at the bottom of of the great lakes were
brought up and sold as high quality tone wood.

One of the Kronos violinists has been trying out a fiddle made of this Great
Lakes wood. It's a very nice instrument, but it's not going to replace his
Gemunder any time soon.

Stardevarius found that timber stored on the water in Venice was
preferred for his violins..


Stradevari's "clunkers" are long since firewood--the ones on which he
learned his craft, the ones that he produced for wealthy patrons who
didn't much care but who paid gold . . .

What survives are the few best instruments of the several best makers.

Those instruments are in the hands of the few best players in the world.

Some strads are also in the hands of ultra-wealthy collectors and
investors who do not play.


Yes, that too. The "I Own Jimmi's Strat" crowd, only in this case it's
Leopold's Fiddle.