The Power Broker Chemistry at Winthrop University温思罗普大学的权力经纪人化学.pptVIP

Construction of the Violin By Phillip Foltz History of Violin Making Violins began developing in the 15th century. The violin we know today developed in the 16th century. The viola and cello each were developed from the violin. Famous Violin Makers The most famous violin makers are probably the Stradivari family, especially Antonio Stradivari. His work continues to be studied today, looking for the secrets of his remarkable instruments. He made in excess of 1000 instruments prior to his death in 1737. Approximately 650 of those still exist. Other famous makers Amati Stainer Guarneri Gagliano The quality of the violinist’s performance can never be better than the quality of the instrument being played. That quality begins to be determined by the selection of the wood for the violin, before the instrument is even being formed. Ideal kinds of wood for different parts have been determined largely through trial and error. Today’s best choices for violinmakers: Front, soundpost, bassbar: spruce Back, sides and neck: maple Fingerboard: ebony Selecting the Kinds of Wood Selecting the Pieces of Wood Challenge: balancing density and stiffness to maximize the vibrations of the wood while maintaining sufficient strength Solution: the front is created primarily for vibration and sound quality while the back adds the needed strength without negatively impacting the sound Density of the Top For the spruce top, the ideal density is between .36 and .39 g/cc. This yields a top whose stiffness is high in comparison to its density. As the maker thins the wood, the stiffness goes down and therefore its frequency goes down. Lower density means less mass which means easier vibrations. Density of the Back For the maple back, sides and neck, the ideal density is between .56 and .60 g/cc. This yields a back which is stiffer than the front, with a greater density which lowers the frequency, with the maple hardwood adding strength to the instrument.