Investigating the origin of inter-individual differences in the preference for violins

In a recent study by the authors [1], it was shown that violin players are self-consistent when evalu-ating different violins in terms of overall preference. However, a significant lack of agreement between individual violinists was observed. A new perceptual experiment was thus designed to further investi-gate whether there will be more between-individual agreement if violin players are asked to focus on specific attributes of the instrument. Skilled violinists were asked to play a set of different violins and evaluate them according to specific criteria. The criteria were determined based on (a) the analysis of verbal data collected in the previous study, and (b) potential correlation with measured vibra-tional properties of the violin. Low light conditions and dark sunglasses were used to help hide the identity of the instruments as much as possible. Considering the bow as an extension of the player, violinists were asked to carry out the task using their own bow. Results confirm the presence of large inter-individual variations in the preference for violins. Further analyses suggest that such variations originate from inter-individual differences in the perception of different violin attributes rather than from inter-individual disagreement in what properties a “good ” violin should possess. PACS no. 43.75.De, 43.75.Cd 1