Now THAT'S a bad day at the office...

[mr.Curmudgeon]

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/virtuosos-trip-destroys-priceless-stradivarius-781531.html

Cue Trumpet, "Wah-waaaah"

[ChadTower]

It was found three days later by a nurse, who gave it to her boyfriend, a carpenter, who offered to turn it into a CD rack.

That would be amusing... "hey, buddy, you know that cello you made into a CD rack?  It was worth four million dollars.  Dumbass."

[mr.Curmudgeon]

But help has come from J&A Beare, the violin dealers of Marylebone, who have arranged to have another Stradivarius flown in from Milan to be loaned to Garrett. The instrument, made in 1718, will be accompanied by a three-man security team watching over Garrett's every step..


  - Stradivarius has a posse.

[vorghagen]

I fell down a flight of steps and on to the case. When I opened it, the violin was in pieces.

You'd think that for a priceless stradivarius violin he'd get a stronger case. Something with a little reinforcement and a boatload of velvet cushioning.

[TOK]

Holy crap, what a terrible story. They're going to try to fix that, but I'd be amazed if it ever sounds the same.

I remember seeing a show on Stradavarius and they could never fully determine what made them sound so much sweeter than other violins. They said he used a few different types of very dense old growth wood for various parts of the instrument and they also speculated that his secret varnish, the chemical he used to keep pests out of the wood, or even the fact that it was stored in seawater during the journey to Italy contributed to it. It was pretty interesting, even though the more they explored the secrets, the more it sounded like a chance happening then some intentional technique that made his instruments sound better than other violins.

[billf]

I fell down a flight of steps and on to the case. When I opened it, the violin was in pieces.

You'd think that for a priceless stradivarius violin he'd get a stronger case. Something with a little reinforcement and a boatload of velvet cushioning.

Exactly what I was thinking.  If it was in a harder shelled case, the violin may have survived and he might have a broken rib or two.  Totally unfortunate situation.

[shardian]

Yep, definitely no excuse here. That thing should be in a case that could survive a fall off a 10 story building.

However, you have to think about the people who are at this level. Appearances are important, and he couldn't exactly tote around an "ugly" case for his darling violin could he?

[ChadTower]

Eh, all it would have to be is powdercoated black.  That's what most of them are anyway... inside it could be air cushioned made from anodized aluminum to aircraft specs and still look flat black and standard on the outside.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Yeah, I think I have a better case for my cheap-ass, no-name off-brand electric guitar than this guy had for the priceless work of art.

Sad.

[shardian]

I'd bet money he carried it in the original case, that way people knew how important he was even with the violin in the case.

[TOK]

I'd bet money he carried it in the original case, that way people knew how important he was even with the violin in the case.

Artsy people often aren't the best logical thinkers. Maybe he's just a dummy. 

[whammoed]

I bent my wookie!

[Ed_McCarron]

I remember seeing a show on Stradavarius and they could never fully determine what made them sound so much sweeter than other violins. They said he used a few different types of very dense old growth wood for various parts of the instrument and they also speculated that his secret varnish, the chemical he used to keep pests out of the wood, or even the fact that it was stored in seawater during the journey to Italy contributed to it. It was pretty interesting, even though the more they explored the secrets, the more it sounded like a chance happening then some intentional technique that made his instruments sound better than other violins.

There was a show on TLC or one of those thinky channels on this...  They were treating wood with different kinds of fungus and mold to see if they could dupe the sound.  Got close, IIRC.