There is a reason why there are a lot of musical instruments that are made from wood. This is because there are certain inherent acoustic properties of wood that cannot be replicated by other materials. This is why many musicians might frown upon the idea of 3D printed instruments which are generally made with plastic.
However it seems that Kaitlyn and Matt Hova have set out to change the perception of such instruments by 3D printing a violin that sounds as good as a wooden-made one. Dubbed the Hovalin, this is a 3D printed violin that supposedly sounds indistinguishable from a world-class wooden version.
As you can see and hear for yourself in the video above, it sounds good. However since we aren’t experts on violins, we can’t say for sure if it does sound better than the wooden counterpart, or if at the very least it matches it in terms of sound. After all there are some who might make the argument that wood ages, meaning that as time passes, the sound could get “warmer”, something that plastic might have a hard time achieving.
In any case, it’s still a good effort and for those interested in replicating the Hovalin, you can purchase the files and raw materials for $70, or if you don’t have access to a 3D printer, you can purchase a fully assembled version for $600.
Filed in . Read more about 3D Printing and Music.