STICKING a violin inside a medical scanner may seem bizarre, but last week a
violin-playing radiologist prescribed CAT scans for stringed instruments. He
says they not only help dealers appraise violins, cellos and violas, but also
allow instrument makers to put a touch of Stradivarius into their own
creations.
To satisfy a whim of curiosity, Steven Sirr, a radiologist at Abbot
Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, gave his violin a CAT scan. 鈥淚 was just
curious about what images would come out,鈥� he says. The pictures were
surprisingly detailed, showing subtle differences in wood density, grain
patterns and glue lines.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a totally unique and different way of looking at a violin,鈥� says John
Waddle, a violin maker and dealer. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely very useful for appraisal.鈥�
One customer tried to sell an old Italian violin to Waddle, who then had Sirr
scan the instrument. 鈥淚t was really shocking鈥攊t was riddled with worm
holes,鈥� says Waddle.
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The CAT scans are also helping violin makers to create spectacular
instruments. After looking at images of Stradivariuses and other great violins,
Waddle changed his designs: 鈥淚 saw that their violins were not necessarily
symmetrical, and they were thinner in some places than I had been making them.鈥�
