<HTML><HTML> In a message dated 12/14/03 10:53:48 PM, koko99@shaw.ca writes: <BLOCKQUOTE CITE STYLE="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px" TYPE="CITE">Wondering if anyone o= ut there has been fortunate enough to have heard a Strad. live, and close-up, and could describe the differences in sound quality. </BLOCKQUOTE> In the orchestra pit at the local theater where I used to conduct, one of th= e violinists who subbed on the show had a Strad.  I was not aware that= it was a Strad and commented to him on the HUGE sound this violin put out.&= nbsp; Being a small pit orchestra, 6 musicians total, it was easy to hear t= his vast difference.  I couldn't comment on the tone itself.  He= was an excellent violinist, with good intonation and expressiveness.  = I'm sure that part of the sound generated by the instrument was due to his = playing.  Yet, the size of the sound, whether playing piano or fortiss= imo, was so different than any other violin I ever heard.  (The regula= r violinist in the pit played an Amati.) Tom Sivak</HTML>