Model-Based Decision Support Methods Applied to the Conservation of Musical Instruments: Application to an Antique Cello

In musical instrument making and restoration domains, the variability of the materials and the irreversibility of the changes are issues for the experimental study of the impact of design changes and restorations on musical instruments. In addition, the analytical methods based on simplified geometries and models are not sufficiently detailed for the study of complex structures and phenomena. The virtual prototyping, and its different capabilities, can be a powerful method for instrument makers and museum curators as a decision support tool. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the model is an important matter to assess good predictions. In the case of antique and unique instruments, it is sometimes hard to obtain exhaustive geometrical properties. Similarly, it is also difficult to evaluate the material properties of full instruments, and this uncertainty may have a strong impact on the output features of the numerical models. In this study, a numerical model of cello is developed using finite element method. It is used to evaluate the impact of a modification of a geometrical property on dynamical features. It is shown that the lack of knowledge on the arching height of the top and back plates of a cello has a strong impact on the computed dynamical properties of the cello. Secondly, the model is considered with and without repair cleats and defects like galleries excavated by wood-boring insects. It is observed that the bridge admittance exhibits discrepancies above 220 Hz which is in the low frequencies domain of the model and quantify the impact of repairs. This model capability is a starting point for further simulations accounting for material and geometrical uncertainties and to assess the confidence level of a model for restoration issues.