Monthly Archives: March 2015
Power efficiency in the Violin
Check out very this recent article from MIT on the evolution of the shape of the F-Hole. A link to the MIT news post is here, and the research paper is here.
“Researchers found most of the sound produced from the violin and its ancestors flows through a sound hole’s perimeter, not its interior.”
Some interesting conclusions from the paper:
- The researchers found that a key feature affecting a violin’s sound is the shape and length of its “f-holes,” the f-shaped openings through which air escapes: The more elongated these are, the more sound a violin can produce.
- The thickness of a violin’s back plate also contributes to its acoustic power…. A thicker back plate, they found, would boost a violin’s sound.
- Throughout the 800-year period the researchers examined, they noted an evolution in sound-hole shape — from a simple round hole to a semicircle, which eventually morphed into a c-shape that grew more elongated, ultimately assuming the f-shape of the violin. The perimeter of these shapes steadily grew, while the area of the interior void gradually decreased.
Very interesting research which will no doubt create a series of new experimental violins with further elongated sound holes.
Titian Project Update
The Stradivarius inspired 1715 ‘Titian’ is progressing nicely since I’ve moved into the new workshop. Check out the progress here. The plates are done and tuned. I’ll be assembling the body in the next week and completing the scroll, neck and fingerboard in the interim…