Schwarze and his colleagues, famous violin makers, built five violins. Two violins were created using wood from the same tree but not treated with fungus. Three violins were made from wood treated with fungus for six, nine and 12 months. Only the violins treated for six and nine months were used in the testing for quality. The violin treated for twelve months developed cracks during production and was discarded.
Using the four violins---two treated and two untreated, plus a Stradivarius valued at $2 million, British violinist, Matthew Trusler, played for an audience of more than 180 people at a forestry conference. The audience was asked to determine which of the five violins was the Stradivarius.
More than 90 people ranked the bio-violin treated for nine months as "the Stradivarius". Matthew Trusler's real Stradivarius came in second, followed by the violin treated for six months. The two untreated violins came in fourth and fifth.
Treating quarter cuts with fungi is not likely to become standard practice for violin makers, said David Wiebe, a violin maker from Woodstock, New York, but the idea is "worth following up on."
Whether the violin is an original Stradivarius or made from fungus-treated wood, it takes a master violinist to bring out a violin's complete promise.
A great violin "cannot be accomplished with one or another secret chemical or biological application," said Wiebe. "It has to do with a deep lifetime dedication."
Eric Bland, Discovery News
Using the four violins---two treated and two untreated, plus a Stradivarius valued at $2 million, British violinist, Matthew Trusler, played for an audience of more than 180 people at a forestry conference. The audience was asked to determine which of the five violins was the Stradivarius.
More than 90 people ranked the bio-violin treated for nine months as "the Stradivarius". Matthew Trusler's real Stradivarius came in second, followed by the violin treated for six months. The two untreated violins came in fourth and fifth.
Treating quarter cuts with fungi is not likely to become standard practice for violin makers, said David Wiebe, a violin maker from Woodstock, New York, but the idea is "worth following up on."
Whether the violin is an original Stradivarius or made from fungus-treated wood, it takes a master violinist to bring out a violin's complete promise.
A great violin "cannot be accomplished with one or another secret chemical or biological application," said Wiebe. "It has to do with a deep lifetime dedication."
Eric Bland, Discovery News
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