String Theories: Chemical Secrets of Italian Violins and Chinese Guqins

The most valuable musical instruments in the world are 17-18th century violins from Cremona, Italy (made by Stradivari and Guarneri), and Chinese guqins (7-string zithers) from the 8-13th century. Today, musicians still prefer these antique instruments for their superior acoustic qualities that cannot be reproduced by later makers. Over the centuries, many theories have been proposed to explain the unique playing properties of famous violins and guqins, but most are based on conjectures rather than factual evidence.