# Stradivari and Guarneri violins



## pcnog11

I would like to hear from people if they can tell the 2 makes for violin apart just by listening to it. Some say they can, some say they cannot. What about you? Which one do you prefer? Why?


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## Pugg

pcnog11 said:


> I would like to hear from people if they can tell the 2 makes for violin apart just by listening to it. Some say they can, some say they cannot. What about you? Which one do you prefer? Why?


Someone would have to have the absolute hearing, almost impossible.


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## senza sordino

I cannot tell these two instruments apart just from listening. But I think that a professional who has played both might be able to tell them apart. Thinking further on this question, what's probably more likely is that a listener can tell apart one player from another, and we know which instrument each player uses. So therefore, we can tell whether a Guarneri or a Strad is being played.


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## Jos

There was a bit of a controversy a few years ago about whether professional players could hear the difference between a Strad and a modern violin. 
Here is the first hit of a Google-search.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/n...radivarius-violins-and-new-ones/#.WEhul7TtShA

No trolling intended, I have no stake in this, nor do I own an old Italian violin. Just curious.


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## hpowders

All I know is if I ever get arrested in Italy, I want the law firm of Guarneri and Stradivari representing me.

I can't tell the difference.


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## Pugg

pcnog11 said:


> I would like to hear from people if they can tell the 2 makes for violin apart just by listening to it. Some say they can, some say they cannot. What about you? Which one do you prefer? Why?


I am still curios if you can hear the difference?


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## pcnog11

Pugg said:


> I am still curios if you can hear the difference?


I do not play the violin, so I cannot tell the difference between them. But I listened to Perlman for so long and he favorite violin is a Guarneri. Nicola Benedetti plays a Strad. Both of them recorded Schindler's List. Both performances are very close and very difficult to tell them apart. It seems that Perlman's playing has a darker tone color and Benedetti has a brighter and have a feminine taste to it. Both are excellent performances. I listen to each performance at least 3 to 5 times before I can tell the difference.


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## Violn20

I tried an original strad and a peter Guarnei violin which was hilarious and amazing. but the thing is as long as you are a listener to even a genius violinist all have perfect pitch and touch on their violins no matter who made by and on the other hand if a typical violin learner plays on the Strad or Guarneri it doesn't make much difference between a basic violin and an advanced one.Short story bottom line is nobody can enjoy more than a professional player on such a unique violin like Stard because the player is the only person who have closest feeling and grooming on the violin and this is something very hard to explain why is like that unless you have been that much lucky to have a chance to play on the violins once but don't get me wrong there are very good luthier at out time period who are making very high quality (structures and sound effective) violin and even very advanced work shop violin which are good value for the price. you can have look in this Website some of them:
www.mezzoviolin.co.uk


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## pcnog11

Violn20 said:


> I tried an original strad and a peter Guarnei violin which was hilarious and amazing. but the thing is as long as you are a listener to even a genius violinist all have perfect pitch and touch on their violins no matter who made by and on the other hand if a typical violin learner plays on the Strad or Guarneri it doesn't make much difference between a basic violin and an advanced one.Short story bottom line is nobody can enjoy more than a professional player on such a unique violin like Stard because the player is the only person who have closest feeling and grooming on the violin and this is something very hard to explain why is like that unless you have been that much lucky to have a chance to play on the violins once but don't get me wrong there are very good luthier at out time period who are making very high quality (structures and sound effective) violin and even very advanced work shop violin which are good value for the price. you can have look in this Website some of them:
> www.mezzoviolin.co.uk


Does the 2 violins have slightly different tone color? If so, how do you describe it?


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## hpowders

All I know is Heifetz played a Guarneri and that's good enough of a recommendation for me.


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## Pugg

pcnog11 said:


> Does the 2 violins have slightly different tone color? If so, how do you describe it?


I'm also curious.


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## Guest

hpowders said:


> All I know is if I ever get arrested in Italy, I want the law firm of Guarneri and Stradivari representing me.


Sounds more like two guys that got fished out of the bottom of Lake Erie.


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## Guest

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/n...ce-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/


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## Frances Metcalfe

The BBC did a test a few years ago on whether listeners could tell the difference between a Strad and a non Strad. I could tell, but many couldn't. A Strad tends to be sweet in tone. Some players are lucky enough to have two to choose from like Anne-Sophie Mutter.


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