Resonance = vibration. In terms of an stringed instrument, the stimulus of plucking a string or the stroke of a bow creates a vibration on the string. It's not the string that creates the sound rather the vibration excites the wood surface of the instrument and gives the tone.
The resonance of the wood is complex. This is why one instrument sounds different than the others. Bracing within the body of the instrument can control the tone. The type of wood also makes a difference controlling the tone.
Last, the musician must use his/her temperament to hear, control and blend the tones to create the final product.
Musicians are by nature temperamental beings.
