A team of radiologists and violin makers have been able to create and build a reproduction of a 1704 Stradivarius violin. Using computed tomography (CT) imaging and advanced manufacturing techniques.
Out of the 1000 violins that were built by Stradivarius, who is considered the greatest violin maker, only around 650 still exist. His violins are well know for their unique sound which is produced due to the construction methods and materials used by Stradivarius. Now the team has been investigating further into what creates this unique sound and have tried to re-create their very own.
Steven Sirr, a radiologist at FirstLight Medical Systems, explains:
“CT scanning offers a unique method of noninvasively imaging a historical object. Combined with computer-aided machinery, it also offers us the opportunity to create a reproduction with a high degree of accuracy.” – “We have two goals: to understand how the violin works and to make reproductions of the world’s most prized violins available for young musicians who can’t afford an original,”
Sirr and Waddle have spent years scanning more than 100 violins —including 29 valuable instruments pre-dating 1827. Image shown is not the violin created by the team, but an original Stradivarius.
Source: Radiological Society of North America : iO9