Working Violin Made Out of 16,000 Matchsticks
April 18, 2017 11:53 AM   Subscribe

Hubert Gwiżdż made a violin of 16,000 matchsticks that has stood the test of time: beautifully, and without combusting into sudden flames even once. The matchstick violin eventually traveled back to Poland while, and there, after some time, it was finally exposed to the orchestral world thanks to efforts from Hubert's grandson.
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posted by grobertson (10 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
I can't imagine how that withstands the force of the tightened strings and doesn't just buckle.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:09 PM on April 18, 2017


lots and lots of lacquer, I'd guess.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:43 PM on April 18, 2017


lacquer/shellac: what people used before duct tape was invented..
posted by k5.user at 1:01 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]


I wonder if anybody has ever tried playing the solo instrumental line from a particular Camper van Beethoven song on this instrument.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:03 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]


And my parents always told me I shouldn't play with matches.
posted by zamboni at 1:22 PM on April 18, 2017


There is something strangely lovely and touching about this.
posted by Samizdata at 1:50 PM on April 18, 2017


I can't imagine how that withstands the force of the tightened strings

Hide glue is amazing stuff. It holds the bridge of an acoustic guitar under tensions ranging from 80–125 lbs. A set of violin strings pulls 12–18 lbs, so well within spec, but man, the patience it took to build that!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:02 PM on April 18, 2017 [1 favorite]


Hide glue is amazing stuff

Yes, this is basically the same as laminated timber that is used in construction — the glue is stronger than the wood, so the resulting structure is stronger than a single piece of wood the same dimensions. Think about plywood: multiple very thin layers of wood, glued together. Each layer is quite fragile but the resulting sheet is strong.
posted by beagle at 2:50 PM on April 18, 2017


I wonder if anybody has ever tried playing the solo instrumental line from a particular Camper van Beethoven song on this instrument.


You know that's a cover of Status Quo, right?
posted by humboldt32 at 2:52 AM on April 19, 2017 [1 favorite]


Yeah, but the Status Quo version didn't have violin in it. ;)
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:22 AM on April 19, 2017


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