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Art and Engineering of Composite Musical Instruments

Company: PSU College of Arts and Architecture

Major(s):
Primary: MATSE
Secondary: ME

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

Art and Engineering of composite musical instruments By V. Brown and D. Whisler Fall 2026 The modern composite is finding increased use in a wider range of consumer applications, from inexpensive phone cases, wallets, and accessories to high velocity transportation vehicles. Whereas its origins began as a simply toughened version of existing materials, i.e. straw in bricks and glass fibers in resin, the modern application towards ultralight and ultrastrong designs sees composites as a high-performance substitute for many traditionally metal or wood products. Musical instruments are one such category that makes extensive use of wood and metal, among other materials. Additionally, many have stayed true to their historical past: the violin since 16th century and trombone originating a century early are two such examples where their shape and construction of wood and brass, respectively, have persisted virtually unchanged to present day. With recent advancements in composite materials, modern sensing, and acoustics, we now have the capabilities to build sturdier, lighter, weather resistant variants. Musical accessories, and entire instruments can now be made lighter, perhaps more user customizable, but ideally still able to capture the tonality, warmth, and essence of the original just with a modern design. For this capstone project, we are looking to design, engineer, and fabricate musical instruments from carbon fiber. Our focus this semester is primarily on the tuba, and any related subassembly supporting usage and transportation, as we seek to make it lighter and more easily packaged while preserving its sound. As a team, we will be exploring material design, ergonomics, sound and acoustics, and some hands-on fabrication in the Learning Factory as we investigate the composites used to make all (or part) of the instrument. This means your multi-disciplinary team will have multiple perspectives to consider: material sections capable of withstanding the rigors and demands of a 30 lb instrument, the aesthetics and costs for both early and accomplished players, and of course, the end product that meets the need of actual tuba musicians. While the modern carbon fiber materials can address some of the shortcomings with brass (namely weight), its intonation and inherent differences compared to a denser metal means delving into research and working within the material property limits.