Dr. Jeff Loen was trained as a geologist, earning a PhD in 1990. However, by 1993 he focused his researcher's drive on the problem of violin acoustics, eventually amassing one of the world's largest databases on classic instruments. He spent decades mapping details of fine classic violins, violas, and cellos in the world’s best museums and collections. He is internationally known for editing the CAS Journal (2000-2004; a peer-reviewed journal on violin acoustics) and for speaking at professional meetings including Oberlin Workshops, conventions of the Violin Society of America, the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, and the International Symposium on Musical Acoustics. Results of his research have been published by The Strad Magazine, the VSA Journal, the CAS Journal, and in a new hardbound book entitled "Investigations of Classic Violin Family Instruments". Loen currently runs Loen Violins, a violin shop in Cody, WY.