Posts from — June 2009

I am working with a sound engineer (John Bell), violin maker (Joseph Curtin), and U of M physicist (Gabriel Weinreich) to design a next-generation electric violin. The violin is an incredibly iconic object, so even a minor aesthetic change noticeably affects the viewer’s response to the instrument. At first, I worked to solve this problem by creating an electric violin that would conform closely to the familiar aesthetic of the traditional violin, but the Mirra task chair by Herman Miller inspired me to approach this challenge in a completely new way. In this design, a flexible plastic surface with a rigid backbone replaces the wooden box traditionally used for a body. Once refined, these early models will be printed in three dimensions using ABS plastic.

I couldn’t wait to see the grain pop in this maple back plate, so I
put a coat of clear varnish on it this morning. The figured wood looks
great! Now I have to decide on what color I should make it and whether
or not I should antique it.

Below is my second attempt to design a string instrument plate with the visual dynamics of a fluid. As usual, the piece was modeled in Rhino 3D, milled out on a Roland 3-axis mill, and finished by hand. This two-part back was prepared from a quarter sawn curly maple billet, then inlaid around the perimeter with a 3mm ebony purfling. I am thinking about turning it into a funky little mandolin.