It actually would be very dependent upon the instrument in general. A number of high-end instruments couldn't even be played by a novice. For example, reed instruments like clarinets and saxophones have different grades of reeds based on how firm they are. Someone inexperienced has to play a softer reed because the muscles used in playing aren't developed enough. There are also elements like scalloped frets on a guitar, which allow for playing with an incredibly light touch, but said touch must be so delicate that a novice is only going to get awful sounds out of them.
So, to treat this question fairly, you have to treat ease of playing as a separate issue from tonal quality. Also, even if you treat being intimate with the instrument as a necessity, you could still reasonably do a double blind test, assuming that the musician doesn't attempt to subvert the process. Give them two very nice violins, and don't tell them which on is the strad. If the physical appearance is too telling, then we might have to have a musician who is literally blind.