For almost three centuries their sound has been the pinnacle of classical music.

But now the violins created by Antonio Saradivari and Gionvanni Battista Guadgnini are giving up the “Cremonese secret” - the mystery of quite why their sound is so exquisite.

Scientists have used cutting-edge technology to discover the most unlikely answer, concluding that it is the tiny imperfections in the instruments which create their sound.

Stradivari and Guadgnini violins were created by the Italian master craftsmen at their workshops in Cremona in the 17th and 18th century and ever since have been known for their “perfect” sound.