Francis Kuttner, a gold medal winner at the Fourth International Competition of the Violin Society of America, comments upon the workmanship of old and modern violins. Playing the instrument for two hundred years improves the tonal quality; the vibration, not the varnish, is critical. The sealer beneath the varnish also affects the quality of the instrument. There is no simple formula for replicating a high quality stringed instrument. See also 19-1984. -- AATA