[decimon]

But there's a reason most of these instruments passed out of use . . . .

I've heard that classical music played with period instruments can be pretty bad. Maybe that's why people like Stradivarius were so valued. Maybe music of that period began sounding much better.

[AnAmericanMother]

People went nuts over Stradivarius, Amati, and the other good instrument makers precisely because their instruments were so much better than what was generally available.

Of course, they're still better . . . for the time being. Unfortunately, wood has a useful life, it's measured in hundreds of years but it DOES wear out. My mother in law gave me a book that is a survey of some of the great instruments, and the author noted that there is a horizon line beyond which they are going to start to fail. Some of them are preserved in nitrogen-filled cases and never played for precisely that reason. Which is a shame.

But the average quality of violins continues to improve. Even the mass-produced Chinese ones sound remarkably well for what they are.