Note E — Chapter V · THE DECLINE OF TONE

“We unhesitatingly assert that modern violin-makers have a choice of material equal in every respect to that which existed at the time of Stradivari.... We may here add a word as to the delusion that material taken from buildings, such as for instance Swiss châlets—in some cases centuries old—is preferable to that cut and seasoned during a lesser, but still a sufficient, number of years. We have tried both kinds ... and we fail to find that the former has any real advantage over the latter; in fact, our opinion is rather in favour of the more youthful wood.”—Messrs. Hill, “Antonio Stradivari,” p. 173.