By — Connie Kargbo Connie Kargbo Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/violinmaker-uses-ct-scans-3d-lasers-hone-craft Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Violinmaker uses CT scans, 3D lasers to hone craft Arts Jun 21, 2014 3:35 PM EDT Based in Brooklyn New York, Samuel Zygmuntowicz has been crafting stringed instruments for about 30 years, working with musical greats such as Yo Yo Ma and Joshua Bell. Many consider Zygmuntowicz preeminent in his field, as he works to construct violas, violins, and cellos with decades-old wood. “Titian” Stradivari 3D vibration pattern animation at 2994 hertz frequency. In playing one note on a violin, the instrument can create several different vibration patterns simultaneously. By analyzing the patterns of motion at various frequencies, violin makers can focus on the movement of a violin to alter the tone. Credit: Strad 3D He has extensively studied the art of violinmaking and looks to the Italian makers of the 17th and 18th century like Antonio Stradivari for guidance. But he also increasingly uses modern tools like CT scans and 3D laser vibration scans to hone his craft. CT scan of “Titian” Stradivari. Much like CT scans are used for the human body, these same scans were also used during the Strad 3D project to show the interior and outer parts of the “Titian” violin. The scans help to expose the density and evenness of the wood. With additional calculations, these scans even lend themselves to identifying the weight of different parts of the instrument. Credit: Strad 3D Zygmuntowicz spoke with NewsHour Weekend about the evolution of his craft and what he looks for when piecing together a new instrument. View the video above. Related: Auction for 18th century viola starts at $45 million We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Connie Kargbo Connie Kargbo Connie Kargbo has been working in the media field since 2007 producing content for television, radio, and the web. As a field producer at PBS NewsHour Weekend, she is involved in all aspects of the news production process from pitching story ideas to organizing field shoots to scripting feature pieces. Before joining the weekend edition of PBS Newshour, Connie was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand where she trained Thai English teachers.
Based in Brooklyn New York, Samuel Zygmuntowicz has been crafting stringed instruments for about 30 years, working with musical greats such as Yo Yo Ma and Joshua Bell. Many consider Zygmuntowicz preeminent in his field, as he works to construct violas, violins, and cellos with decades-old wood. “Titian” Stradivari 3D vibration pattern animation at 2994 hertz frequency. In playing one note on a violin, the instrument can create several different vibration patterns simultaneously. By analyzing the patterns of motion at various frequencies, violin makers can focus on the movement of a violin to alter the tone. Credit: Strad 3D He has extensively studied the art of violinmaking and looks to the Italian makers of the 17th and 18th century like Antonio Stradivari for guidance. But he also increasingly uses modern tools like CT scans and 3D laser vibration scans to hone his craft. CT scan of “Titian” Stradivari. Much like CT scans are used for the human body, these same scans were also used during the Strad 3D project to show the interior and outer parts of the “Titian” violin. The scans help to expose the density and evenness of the wood. With additional calculations, these scans even lend themselves to identifying the weight of different parts of the instrument. Credit: Strad 3D Zygmuntowicz spoke with NewsHour Weekend about the evolution of his craft and what he looks for when piecing together a new instrument. View the video above. Related: Auction for 18th century viola starts at $45 million We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now