In the April 2019 issue of The Strad, Rudolf Hopfner explains how the neck root and top-block of a Jacob Stainer violin made after 1650 gives insights into his working methods – and solves a mystery about the maker’s training in the process.

This video, made up of hundreds of CT slices, gives a 3D look at the composition of the top-block, ribs and neck root. The two pins embedded in the top-block went undiscovered until the instrument underwent CT scanning.