| Bio-composite materials suitable for replacing wood for use in musical instruments were developed. The mechanical properties of Sitka spruce, the most widely used wood species for this application, were taken as a benchmark when developing the new materials. The materials were characterized by static and dynamic methods to determine the dynamic Young's modulus, shear modulus, internal friction and static mechanical properties. Based on the material characterization, a hand layup process with a two-part closed mould and internal pressure bladder was developed and a total of six prototype ukuleles were manufactured. The results show that the bio-composite material can meet all the necessary criteria for a soundboard material and that an efficient manufacturing process can be developed for producing composite musical instruments.;KEYWORDS: Natural fibres; dynamic mechanical properties; composite musical instruments; vibrations; acoustics... |
