CASJ Vol. 4, No. 8 (Series II), November 2003
CT Scan Cross-Profiles through Cremonese Stringed Instruments
John R. Waddle, Steven A. Sirr, Jeffrey S. Loen, and A. Thomas King
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ABSTRACT
A series of cross profiles are shown for famous Cremonese violins and violas by Nicolò Amati, Andrea Guarneri, and Nicola Bergonzi. These show in detail how the thickness of the plates interacts with the curves of the inside and outside arching, which is part of the information needed by makers to produce accurate copies of great instruments.
We present a series of slices through Cremonese violins and violas that are part of the collection at the National Music Museum, in Vermillion, South Dakota. The slices chosen correspond to the “quinta” of arching profiles often used by makers to set their top and back arching curves. These are positioned at the widest part of the upper bouts, the upper corners, the narrowest part of the middle bouts, the lower corners, and the widest part of the lower bouts. Thickness graduation maps (contour interval 0.25 mm) are made based on point measurements from a magnetic thickness gauge, contoured using a geographic information system. We also include a variety of photos of several of the instruments.