How Design Sounds

It’s interesting how design and music collide (see one of our recent posts about it here), especially in the arena of instrument-making. After 14 years of violin playing, I’ve found that the design of the acoustic instruments (though very complex) is relatively, well, stagnant. And for good reason…the violin makers of the 18th century exhausted the possibilities of wooden violin making with a design (and scarce materials) that no one in modern times has paralleled in terms of marrying the aesthetic to playability and sound. When a single millimeter can completely change the sound of an instrument, why mess with what many consider to be perfection?

Now we have newer materials and a greater understanding of acoustics at our fingertips. But can we make a better violin than Stradivari?

Pioneering designers are using different materials such as graphite and balsa wood and complementing them with a new design to re-invent the violin. Although unconventional (and very archaic looking), these prototype violins have been said to equal or even top a Stradivarius. When an accomplished player (who usually plays a Stradivarius) played one of these new balsa/carbon prototype violins, he said, “I have never been playing any violin with such a singing E string. It is no longer like playing violin but like singing.”

Sounds promising to me. If I can get my hands on one, I’ll let you know. Until then…read a little about it here, and what other instruments, products, or anything do you think needs a refreshing design?