Violin tone and violin makers

"Violin Tone and Violin Makers" by Hidalgo Moya and Towry Piper is a study from the early 1900s that looks closely at what makes a violin sound good, discussing how tone is most important to violinists despite the age of the instrument. The authors looked at the history of violin making and makers, explaining what they did for the craft. The book wants to make the connection between how a violin is built, how it sounds, and how much it's worth in the violin market more understandable, because some people care more about having an old violin than a good-sounding one. The book starts by saying players should value sound over everything else and that old violins aren't always the best, since the market pushes old instruments as best, meaning players wanting tone have their choice limited to available instruments. The authors want people to understand what really makes a violin sound good.