$5,000, when you can buy them at all, which is seldom, for they are
mostly in the hands of wealthy collectors. Now we will let you into a
great secret. It is not the kind of wood or the form of the instrument
alone which produces the rare quality of sound, but it lies also in the
kind of varnish used. By experimenting with varnish, you can produce a
“Stradivarius,” which will sell for almost any amount you choose to ask.