3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / News / 3D Printed Violins for the Masses
qidi

3D Printed Violins for the Masses

January 27, 2022

3D printed instruments are not a new thing, as we have seen with Olaf Diegel’s ever growing range of AM guitar creations. But most quality boutique instruments carry a price tag to match the effort of creation and the small scales of production.

Enter musician/engineer Matthew Canel, who hopes to change that. Canel is an engineering graduate from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio and in a previous life spent time learning the cello.

Motivated by the high cost of musical instruments (cello in particular), Canel has turned to additive manufacturing to make instruments of a reasonable quality for students.

The FDM printed violins are on sale via his 3DMusic website, and can be purchased for as little as $200.

printed violins
Two printed violins, just chillin on a bench. (Image credit: 3D Music LLC)<br />

That may sound a little expensive for an FDM print, but you’re not only paying for the printer time here, you are paying for the design work which has been carried out with the aid of professional luthiers. Sure, you could download any number of free STLs off the web and print it out, but it likely won’t sound too great.

The result of 3DMusic’s efforts is a violin that is claimed to sound something like a wooden instrument. Or at the very least, like an instrument in a higher price bracket!

“You can buy a wooden violin for up to $1 million. So, there is a huge range…the cheapest violins I’ve found on AliExpress are to $69 plus shipping, and their sound quality is what a $69 violin would sound like,” said Ben Kaufman, who works on Business Development at 3DMusic.

“We’re trying to get the sound quality of a $300 to $400 violin and then come in under their price.”

The company was formed a couple of years back, and they showcased their prototype the same year at the CES 2020 exhibition. They have had a stall at CES each year since then also.

CES booth (Image credit: 3D Music LLC)

As you can see in the picture, the violins have been printed using what appears to be a normal FDM 3D printer, which no doubt helps to keep the costs in line with the company vision for providing pocket-friendly violins.

Obviously printing a violin is a long way from printing a cello, and it may be a long time before we see any large instruments printed with tonal qualities comparable to their traditionally made variants. It’s still hard to print big things out of plastic with commonly available printers.

However, these printed violins are definitely a step in the right direction, and by combining traditional luthiery, modern materials and even simulation methods, the prospect of building a superior instrument out of plastic may not seem too crazy.

You can take a look at the ¼ size printed violins on offer over at the 3DMusic website, right here.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
About the author | Phillip Keane
Phillip is an aerospace engineer from UK. He is a graduate of Coventry University (UK), International Space University (France) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), where he studied Advanced Manufacturing at the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing.
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Singapore-based startup Unigons has launched a limited collection of 3D-printed Merlion figurines made from recycled plastic bottles. The company produced 60 pieces of... read more »

News
Singapore Startup Creates Limited Edition 3D-Printed Collectibles from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Designer Liam de la Bedoyere has developed the Dog Hut Side Table, a piece of furniture that combines a resting space for dogs... read more »

News
Designer Uses Robotic 3D Printing to Create Dual-Purpose Dog Furniture

Scientists 3D Print Solar-Powered Sponge for Seawater Desalination

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed aerogel material that uses sunlight to convert seawater into drinking water. The sponge-like structure contains microscopic vertical channels... read more »

News

Revopoint Launches Major Prime Event 2025 Sale with Up to 40% Off 3D Scanners and Accessories

Revopoint is kicking off its Prime Event 2025 with a series of major discounts on its range of professional 3D scanners and accessories.... read more »

News

Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

MetalWorm and Nurol Makina, both based in Ankara, Turkey, have completed testing of an armored vehicle component manufactured using Directed Energy Deposition (DED)... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

TissueTinker, a McGill University spinout company, has developed 3D bioprinting technology to create miniaturized tumor models for cancer drug testing. The company recently... read more »

Medical
McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

The University of Twente has received €13.6 million in funding from the 2024 NWA ORC program to lead two research projects focused on... read more »

News
University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

China’s 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has successfully completed the first flight test of its 3D-printed micro turbojet engine in Inner Mongolia... read more »

Aerospace
China's 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Center for Industrial Photonics have developed a new additive manufacturing technique called laser-assisted cold spray (LACS). The... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing