According to CBS, the Dolomites in Italy’s Alps is a forest whose trees are perfect for making instruments.
Instrument-maker Fabio Ognibene claims that the site has been a favorite among other instrument-makers for about six centuries. And, since most instruments are made of wood, there are specific types of trees that work best for specific instruments.
A CBS reporter asked Ognibene, an instrument-maker himself, about this process. “When you look around a forest like this you can say, ‘That’s a violin, that’s a cello, this is a piano soundboard’?”
Ognibene said yes. He claims that he is adept at knowing which types of wood would produce the best sound and “energy” for a particular instrument.
Many people must have this same gift given the amount of violins made from the forest wood.