Exploring Modal Analysis for Characterizing Impact of Making Process on the Properties of Woods Used in Musical Instruments

This chapter explores the application of modal analysis to assess the impact of making process on the structural properties of maple wood used as sides of quartet family instrument. Specifically, we investigate the effects of a bending process using hot iron and water on the sides of the violin. The mechanical properties are compared before and after bending process at same relative humidity condition. Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) is employed to identify changes in the longitudinal modulus of elasticity and damping. Our results indicate a weakly significant decrease in longitudinal rigidity, but a significant reduction in longitudinal specific modulus, and a highly significant increase in longitudinal damping, shedding light on the implications for instrument makers.