BBC Knowledge April 2017

There is no reason you can’t 3D print a musical instrument. Cheap violins have been made out

of plastic for years, and 3D printing is just a handy way of assembling them. An electric violin converts

the string vibrations into an electrical signal, so it doesn’t depend on the acoustic properties

of the resonating chamber. A 3D-printed trumpet might also work well, but an acoustic violin made of

plastic can’t compete with a Stradivarius yet. The complex grain structure of the wood creates subtle

resonances and harmonics that we can’t recreate with the resolution of current 3D printers. LV

Would a 3D-printed instrument

sound the same as a normal one?

French engineer and

professional violinist

Laurent Bernadac

poses with the

3Dvarius, a 3D printed

electric violin made

from transparent resin

19 April 2017 April 2017^13