ABSTRACT
Invented by a prolific and often overlooked inventor and scientist, Augustus Stroh, and introduced in 1901, the Stroh violin became cutting edge technology – the standard of an industry – for over 20 years. One key thing to understand about the Stroh violin story is the fundamental difference between recording techniques before and after 1925. In 1925, a major development in recording technology occurred, and brought about a new era in that field. This innovation, electrical recording, fundamentally changed the way records were made and drastically improved the frequency response of recorded discs. It also made the Stroh violin obsolete as a recording tool. Prior to this innovation though, recordings were done in a much different way, and it was under these circumstances that the Stroh violin ruled. Stroh violin replaced the sound box of the traditional violin with an aluminum diaphragm and a large trumpet horn.
