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Physical, vibro-mechanical and optical properties of pernambuco in relation to bow-making qualitative evaluation and wood diversity

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Published/Copyright: August 14, 2024
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Holzforschung
From the journal Holzforschung Volume 78 Issue 9

Abstract

Pernambuco is the archetypal wood in modern bows of the violin-family. This species (Paubrasilia echinata) is endangered. Existing literature suggests remaining questions on how its properties’ variability relates to qualification in bow-making, and to diversity. Here 61 pernambuco specimens, with various qualitative evaluations by makers, are characterised for physical, elastic, dynamic, and optical properties. Results are compared with standard relations between-properties, and with 53 pre-selected tropical hardwoods. The tested pernambuco stands in the medium-upper range of these pre-selected species for density (ρ) and modulus of elasticity (E). It is exceptional for its very low damping coefficient (tanδ) and very intense colour (red a*, yellow b* and chroma C*). Within-species variability is high. Qualification is mostly associated to ρ, colour hue angle h° and gloss, then to elasticity – but E and E/ρ (specific modulus) overlap between groups. Qualification involves appearance (L*, h°, gloss) when freshly cut, and with anticipation of changes after ageing or finishing. The properties (damping, chroma) that make pernambuco exceptional among species, are not clearly related to the qualification within the studied sampling. Analyses help better understand the specificities of pernambuco, and highlight the multifactorial nature of wood selection at two levels: between-species preference, and within-species qualification.

Keywords: colorimetry and gloss; diversity and variability; endangered species; mechanical and vibrational properties; musical instruments making; wood quality in craftsmanship
Corresponding author: Iris Brémaud, Wood Team, LMGC, CNRS, UMR 5508, Univ. Montpellier, cc048, F34090, Montpellier, France, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

The author warmly thanks the bow makers who provided pernambuco wood samples and/or qualifications. This work started in 2004 with collection of wood samples of various quality. Results come from two distant phases of experiments (in 2004–2005, and in 2022–2023). In the most recent phase, experiments on wood ageing and appearance were partly supported by CNRS through the MITI interdisciplinary programs.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: The author states no conflict of interest.

  4. Research funding: None declared.

  5. Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

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Received: 2023-11-10
Accepted: 2024-06-19
Published Online: 2024-08-14
Published in Print: 2024-09-25

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Wood Growth/Morphology
  3. Development of a DNA macroarray for the molecular biological identification of trade-relevant tropical CITES timber species and their look-alikes
  4. Chemotaxonomic and anatomic wood species identification in bleached pulp: blind test and method validation
  5. Comparative wood and charcoal anatomy of Manilkara sp.: contribution for market inspections
  6. Wood Physics/Mechanical Properties
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  8. Physical, vibro-mechanical and optical properties of pernambuco in relation to bow-making qualitative evaluation and wood diversity
https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2023-0112
Keywords for this article
colorimetry and gloss; diversity and variability; endangered species; mechanical and vibrational properties; musical instruments making; wood quality in craftsmanship

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Wood Growth/Morphology
  3. Development of a DNA macroarray for the molecular biological identification of trade-relevant tropical CITES timber species and their look-alikes
  4. Chemotaxonomic and anatomic wood species identification in bleached pulp: blind test and method validation
  5. Comparative wood and charcoal anatomy of Manilkara sp.: contribution for market inspections
  6. Wood Physics/Mechanical Properties
  7. Study on the strength mechanism of the wooden round-end mortise-and-tenon joint using the digital image correlation method
  8. Physical, vibro-mechanical and optical properties of pernambuco in relation to bow-making qualitative evaluation and wood diversity
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