Re-creating the Betts
From CT Scans to CNC Replicas
I am part of an ongoing collaboration with Luthier Stephen Rossow and Radiologist Steven A. Sirr, MD., on a project that uses existing and emerging technologies to explore the structure of- and ultimately replicate- famous violins.
The following images are of violin known as the Betts, by Antonio Stradivari, made in 1704. I wrote an article, in collaboration with Steve Sirr, and Steve Rossow, on the Betts, which is available in the May issue of the Strad.
Below, on the left, is a photo of the back of the Betts, and the next picture is a photo of our copy of the back of Betts.
Below, on the left is a photo of the top of the Betts, compared with a photo of our copy of the front of the Betts.
Below is a photo showing the process of carving the new back from a digital computer file obtained from a CT scan of the Betts.
