Chemical distinctions between Stradivari’s maple and modern tonewood
Significance There have been numerous attempts to elucidate the “secrets” of Stradivari violins, to explain why functional replacements have not been reproduced over the past two centuries. Whether there are systematic differences between Stradivari violins and later imitations has been heatedly debated. Our analysis of Stradivari’s maples from three independent sources showed reproducible differences in chemical compositions compared with modern maples. Stradivari’s use of mineral-treated maples belonged to a forgotten tradition unknown to later violin makers. His maple also appeared to be transformed by aging and vibration, resulting in a unique composite material unavailable to modern makers. Modern chemical analyses may, therefore, improve our understanding of Stradivari’s unique craft and inspire the development of novel material approaches in instrument making.