Correlation Between Dynamic Features of Unvarnished and Varnished New Violins and Their Acoustic Perceptual Evaluation

This paper reports an investigation into correlations between dynamic features of unvarnished and varnished new violins and their acoustic perceptual evaluation. Seven violins with modified plate thicknesses were tested before varnishing (in white) and after varnishing. During the first stage, the violins were dynamically tested and then acoustically evaluated by specialists in the field using a blind test. In the second stage, the testing procedure was resumed, but on the varnished violins. Thus, in the dynamic analysis of the violins were identified their signature modes, the dominant frequency, the frequency spectrum, the quality factor and their damping. In using perceptual acoustic analysis, five acoustic criteria were investigated (sound clarity, sound warmth, brightness of tone, equal sound on strings, amplitude of sounds), based on the musical audition of each violin studied, without the subjects seeing the violin or knowing their physical characteristics.