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Musical instrument maker
 
Violin, Musical instrument maker, 2003; Robert P. Langdon; Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Aluminum, wood, strings; 24 1/4 x 8 1/4 x 3 3/4 in.; Collection of the artist; Photography by Jason Dowdle
Violin, Musical instrument maker, 2003
Robert P. Langdon
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Aluminum, wood, strings
24 1/4 x 8 1/4 x 3 3/4 in.
Collection of the artist
Photography by Jason Dowdle
 
Robert Langdon holding one of his aluminum fiddles; Musical instrument maker; 2003: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
 
verticle bar Artist
Robert P. Langdon
Venice, FL
Mechanical engineer Robert Langdon plays traditional music on mandolin, guitar, dobro, banjo, and violin. He has always built things in his spare time, including musical instruments. So after retiring, he decided to make a violin. Keenly interested in the physics of sound, he experimented with sheet aluminum he had laying around. This is one of eight aluminum violins he has made to date. He machines the patterns, then cuts the aluminum with a jigsaw, sometimes roughing out a shape with scissors first. Robert's violins sound remarkably like ones made of wood. As he describes, "It performs quite well over a microphone . . . I try to avoid using it in electrical storms."
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