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I didn't look at a string in isolation, but I recall having a whole library of data from recorded instrument sounds (both string and wind instruments) that included information on both amplitude and phase of different harmonics. I also played a little with constructing instrument sounds on my computer from that data, and tried omitting the phase, which I recall seemed to produce a brighter sound. In retrospect, I'm not sure whether I perceived the sound as brighter because of the phase relationship or because of the audio playback equipment. But I can certainly say that no instrument has all its harmonics in phase with one another, and yes, I would presume the phase differences come from different harmonic sources within the instrument.
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Last night I was pumped about practicing after discussing this stuff through the day. Was gonna record and just have a really great practice. For the life of me couldn't do anything. My fiddle sounded like some bad alto sax playing. For sure was getting the more metallic sound. My whine for the day... Hoping tonights better.
@AndrewH for me what I feel is warm is on some of the stuff I listen to the higher strings sound airy or soft...hard to explain. My feelings are I would describe Martin Hayes' playing as warm even when he is playing more treble type stuff.
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Awesome - thanks for the clarification @AndrewH - sure - I understand that completely now. Yeah - always difficult to "home in" especially in text messages, on just exactly what is being talked about or described! Yes, I'm looking at something just a little bit different, where phase information is, well, not irrelevant - just not important. That encourages me! Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated !
My fiddle sounded like some bad alto sax playing.
ROFL - wow, as good as that! You should hear my failures! Aye, we all get that at times, and for some reason, it starts off bad, and just gets worse and worse the more you try to understand why and try to correct it.... Oh yes, you're not alone LOL...
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Honorary advisor
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Warmth, for me, is the subtle toned down pitch of the higher A and E strings as well as the deeper mid-range of the G and D strings that create a more pronounced mid-tone. It is the combination of the type of strings used along with the warm resonance and tone that the instrument can produce.
It is difficult, even for software, spectrum data and equalizers to define. It is something you hear in the instrument.
Warmth is desirable for some pieces of music, and not for others. Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake clearly is a warm and inviting piece. Auerbach's Sonata 4 is an entirely different piece that does not sound warm at all.
Warmth is also a desired aesthetic sound that the musician wants from their instrument. In fact, a musician will often choose their instruments based on this tone that it can produce.
So, in my opinion, warmth, depth, brightness, and darkness are a relatively subjective mixture of tone and feeling which is difficult to define and measure.
You know it when you hear it.
- Pete -
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Indeed Pete @Pete_Violin -
.....It is difficult, even for software, spectrum data and equalizers to define. It is something you hear in the instrument.
Well said ! I believe such tools are useful, but only to the extent that they can give a clue, or insight as to what may be going on. Data from these tools are (in their own way) mathematically "correct" - but - we have to step outside the box-of-math and use our ears to obtain a qualitative as distinct from quantitative feel for the sound. Absolutely agree !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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@Pete_Violin Pete I like how you put that! I think you summed it up well.
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GregW said
Last night I was pumped about practicing after discussing this stuff through the day. Was gonna record and just have a really great practice. For the life of me couldn't do anything. My fiddle sounded like some bad alto sax playing. For sure was getting the more metallic sound. My whine for the day... Hoping tonights better.@AndrewH for me what I feel is warm is on some of the stuff I listen to the higher strings sound airy or soft...hard to explain. My feelings are I would describe Martin Hayes' playing as warm even when he is playing more treble type stuff.
Hmm, we seem to have the exact opposite perceptions, then. I just listened to some Martin Hayes and I feel his sound is extremely bright. (And when you posted the two videos earlier, the one you felt was the warmer of the two was the same one I felt was much brighter.)
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And there lies my original question! 😁 BUT.. You saying that does give me something to go on. I might have a standard warm/bright description reversed. And with that I like a more bright instrument. Doesn't mean aanything just fun to discuss.
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