Today violin makers have the opportunity to combine the tradition and excellence of the past with a modern analytic approach to structure and acoustics. The past has yielded many excellent fiddles. The importance of the traditional approach cannot be underestimated. To continue the tradition we must utilize the best of today's technology to produce the best instrument possible. After all, this was what, in their time, both Stradivari and Guarneri were attempting to achieve.

If CAD systems, finite element analysis (FEA) and fast fourier transforms (FFT) been available in the 17th century the best violin makers would have certainly been using them. In our modern era we often lose sight of the role technology should play in our lives. Too often the technical fix is a short cut or an attempt to simplify a product. Rarely is it used to achieve the highest possible quality. And even more rarely as a means to artistic expression. Compass, divider, parchment and pencil have now become computer and plotter. The maker's ear has been extended by acoustic analysis and the eye is enhanced computer visualization. The living tradition continues.

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