Highlights

Feasibility studies have been carried out at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste with the aim of demonstrating the advantages and evaluating  the  effectiveness  of  synchrotron  radiation  X-ray microtomography   as   a   suitable   technique   for   non-destructive analysis of bowed stringed instruments. The particular  geometry  of  the  X-ray  beam  and  the  use  of  a novel  detector  allow  structural  evaluation  of  the  main details  of  the  instruments  with  unprecedented  richness of details. This, in turn, will allow precise dendrochronological  investigation  of  historical  violins,  as  well  as  the characterization  of  their  structure,  defects,  wood  thickness and density.

The  combined  approach  of  synchrotron  radiation tomography, by the use of large detectors coupled with laminar X-ray beams and the use of local area
microtomography,  is  an  important  tool  in  the  non-invasive three dimensional analysis of ancient and modern bowed string instruments. Besides obvious
applications  such  as  dendrocronological  evaluations  or  quality  analysis  of  musical  instruments  of great  value,  this  approach  can  be  of  great  help  in
the characterization of the outer layers, where both varnish  and  fillers  are  known  to  be  in  some  way responsible  of  the  overall  performance.24  More  in
general,  this  approach  will  be  of  fundamental importance  in  the  evaluation  and  the  definition  of the  restoration  and  conservation  protocols  for
instruments  of  great  historical,  artistic  and  economic importance.