RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF CURLYMAPLE WOOD (ACER PSEUDOPLATANUS) USED FOR BACK SIDE OF VIOLIN

Abstract

Stringed instruments are made of high quality wood species from physical, mechanical and acoustical point of view, being carefully selected, kiln dried and processed under specific conditions that assure micro-structural integrity. Maple wood (Acer Pseudoplatanus) for musical instruments is used to getting back plates and sides for string instruments (violin family). This species of wood is valued for both acoustic qualities but mostly for aesthetic, using a natural defect of maple wood characterized by wavy grain. The paper presents the research on visco-elasticity behavior of maple wood with different types of grain deviation in wood from very curly maple to common maple. The storage modulus, loss modulus, damping capacity in varying temperature conditions and for different loading frequencies were determined using dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA). It was found that specimens characterized by very wavy grain shows a high damping capacity of frequency range between 33.33 to 50Hz, unlike specimens of common maple which do not have the capacity of frequency selectivity.

Keywords

• viscoelasticity
• curly maple
• dynamical mechanical analysis;
• damping