Alternative to tropical wood in instrument making
Robert König is Professor of Musical Instrument Making Technology at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ). He has been awarded the environmental prize of the Chemnitz Chamber of Crafts for a new combination of materials for the production of fingerboards for stringed instruments.
The newly developed fingerboard material is made from recycled paper, spruce and natural resins. According to the WHZ press release, the project, which was awarded a prize by the Chemnitz Chamber of Crafts, represents "a substantial contribution to the ecological qualification of traditional instrument making".
Rare tropical woods, especially ebony, are to be replaced by using modern substitute materials. Important varieties of ebony are currently no longer allowed to be traded without a certificate. Exports to the USA in particular are subject to very strict rules. Another aspect of the research work was the question of compensation options for natural fluctuations in the material properties of woods.
