New research confirms that the unique and captivating sound that comes from Stradivarius violins is because of chemicals used to treat the wood, not necessarily the craftsmanship making the instrument. It was long suspected that renowned violin maker Antonio Stradivari and others used various chemicals on what have become the world’s most famous violins in order to treat the instruments, due to a worm infestation at the time. International researchers recently published their findings about the Stradivarius violins, confirming a 40-year-old theory.