1715 Stradivarius vs Modern Borman

This is a comparison of the sound spectrum of a 1715 Stradivarius violin compared to that of a modern Borman violin. Although there are slight differences between the actual peaks (these differences are found even on same year Strad violins), the actual sound amplitudes are very similar indicating that these violins would compare quite favorably in listening tests.

Each August, the Jaime Laredo tunes down the pegs on his Stradivari to reduce tension on the strings and give the instrument a rest from the rigors of concert use. Since 1989, the instrument he has used while his Strad slumbers is one purchased from Terry Borman. "When I played the Borman in concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra," Mr. Laredo recalled, "the musicians were so impressed that two or three of them wound up ordering Terry's instruments. They have a rich, mellow tone right from beginning, " read more