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Stradivari ‘Betts’ Violin
The " Betts " Stradivarius , which was made in 1704 and is presently housed in the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington , D.C. , is getting a second life as an low-priced instrument for modern - daylight musicians . A radiologist teamed up with professional violin makers to replicate the valuable violin by using XTC - ray technology . [ Read full article : 18th - C Violin Recreated with 21st - Century Technology](Above is a frame derived from the OsiriX DICOM image witness , which created a 3 - 500 model of the fiddle using datum collected using computed tomography ( CT ) imagination . )
One Valuable Violin
The 1704 " Betts"Stradivari violinwas crafted by Antonio Stradivari , an Italian manufacturer of chain instruments who go from 1644 to 1737 . Of the estimated 1,000 violin earlier craft by Stradivari , about 650 still exist . Many of them are kept in museums and rarely played , while others have been deal to top professional musicians for millions of dollars . Steven Sirr , a radiologist at FirstLight Medical Systems in Mora , Minn. , worked with professional violin Divine John Waddle and Steve Rossow of St. Paul , Minn. , to scan " Betts " using computed tomography ( CT ) imaging and recreate the tool for modernistic - day use . “We have two goal : to understand how the violin sour and to make breeding of the world ’s most appreciate violins useable for young musicians who ca n’t give an original , " Sirr said in a instruction .
Revealing Scan
Pictured above is one of thecomputed tomography ( CT ) imagessnapped of " Betts . " The researchers took more than 1,000 CT images of the instrument to decently ascertain its composition , wood heaviness , form and degree of arching .
Shades of Gray
A CT image of the back of the 1704 Stradivarius " Betts " violin ( top ) and the front ( bottom).“CT scanning offers a unique method of noninvasively imaging a historical objective , " Sirr said . " meld with computer - aided machinery , it also put up us the opportunity to create a reproduction with a high-pitched degree of truth . "
A 3-D Model
The CT image were put into range - processing software called OsiriX , which created a flick display a3 - D modelof the violin . show here is a frame from OsiriX.
Carving a Violin
A so - called CNC machine ( like a 3 - D printer ) is shown here cut up the back of the Stradivari " Betts " violin replica , bank on data point from the CT trope that was converted into stereolithography files .
Brushing Away
As the CNC simple machine gingerly chip at the back of the Stradivari " Betts " violin reproduction , its brush sweeps away any excess wood particles that ensue from thewood - cutting process .
Almost Finished
Here is another shot of the CNC machine carve out the back of the Stradivari " Betts " violin ’s reproduction from a piece of wood .
Getting the Details Just Right
Above is a close - up nip of the CNC simple machine cautiously chip at out and shaping the top share of the " Betts " violin reproduction .
Something Old, Something New
Think you ’d be capable to recite which violin is the real McCoy ? The original 1704 Stradivari " Betts " violin is present side - by - side next to the carved plate of its replication .
Copy of a Legend
After the CNC machine dispatch chip at the " Betts " violin ’s reproduction , Waddle and Rossow finish , assembled andvarnishedthe novel fiddle by bridge player . bear witness above is the final version of the Stradivarius fiddle reproduction .