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New 3D-printed violin could revolutionize music

“Building such a quality string instrument takes time, perfect materials, and a lot of skill, and the best ones can cost millions of dollars."

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By Gwyn Wright via SWNS

A 3D-printed violin which could "revolutionize" music has been created by scientists.

The innovative instrument’s body is made in the same manner as a traditional violin and is designed to produce a resonant tone.

Meanwhile, its neck and fingerboard are made of a smoother type of plastic called ABS in order to be comfortable in a musician’s hands.

It produces a darker, shallower sound than traditional violins.

Researchers in the US wanted to print low-cost, durable violins which could be used for music students.

During the process of creating it, they explored the factors that contribute to the best violin sounds and performed a concerto specifically for 3D-printed instruments.

Mary Elizabeth Brown, Director of the AVIVA Young Artists program for young violinists, said: “There's nothing quite like the sound of a Stradivarius violin.

via GIPHY

“Building such a quality string instrument takes time, perfect materials, and a lot of skill, and the best ones can cost millions of dollars.

“Even mediocre violins can cost thousands, which puts them out of reach for most beginners and music classrooms.

“The team's inspiration roots in multiple places.

"Our goals were to explore the new sound world created by using new materials, to leverage the new technology being used in other disciplines, and to make music education sustainable and accessible through the printing of more durable instruments.

“The next step is to explore design modifications as well as efforts to lower the costs of production while making such instruments more widely available, especially in the realm of education.”

The findings were presented at the 183rd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Nashville, Tennessee.

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