Potential use of Libidibia ferrea and Poincianella pluviosa woods for bows of string instruments

• Published in: European journal of wood and wood products Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. 357 - 368
• Main Authors: Longui, Eduardo Luiz, Moureira, Juliana Aparecida, Lombardi, Daniel Romeu, da Silva Júnior, Francides Gomes, Alves, Edenise Segala
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acoustic properties; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Caesalpinia echinata; Ceramics; Chemical properties; Composites; Density; Glass; Libidibia ferrea; Life Sciences; Lignin; Machines; Manufacturing; Mechanical properties; Musical instruments; Natural Materials; Natural populations; Original; Performance indices; Physical properties; Poincianella pluviosa; Processes; Similarity; Specific gravity; Stiffness; Strings; Trees; Wood; Wood Science & Technology; Workability
• ISSN: 0018-3768; 1436-736X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00107-017-1187-6

To determine the potential for use in the manufacture of string instrument bows, the anatomical features, as well as physical, acoustic and chemical properties, of
Libidibia ferrea
(pau ferro) and
Poincianella pluviosa
(sibipiruna) wood were compared against those found in
Caesalpinia echinata
(pau brasil) wood, the established species for modern bow-making. Recent studies recommend relevant parameters of bow quality, such as wood anatomy, physical and mechanical properties. Based on its similarity to
C. echinata
in terms of ray width, fiber length, specific gravity and performance index (bending stiffness for a bow of given mass and geometry),
P. pluviosa
presents higher potential for bow-making than
L. ferrea
. However,
P. pluviosa
trees grow in plantations with tight spacing, resulting in higher wood density when compared with trees from natural populations. Heartwood color of
L. ferrea
is closer to the reddish–brown heartwood of
C. echinata
, thus differing from
P. pluviosa
. As such, heartwood similarity could be a positive factor for its acceptance by musicians, who are accustomed to bows made with
C. echinata
wood. However, based on the initial analysis,
L. ferrea
may show lower workability by its hardness, making it difficult to manufacture bows. Extractive content did not differ between
L. ferrea
and
P. pluviosa
and was lower than that of
C. echinata
. Lignin was higher in
C. echinata
and lower in
P. pluviosa
. Holocellulose was higher in
P. pluviosa
and lower in
C. echinata
. Overall, preliminary analyses indicate that both woods have sufficient potential to produce bows adequate to the needs of beginners and amateur musicians.