John E McLennan
PhD UNSW, MSc UNSW, ASTC (Dip Met), AIM (Lond), C Eng |
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John did his PhD research on the acoustical properties of the violin. He was an accomplished engineer, a skilled violin craftsman and an independent researcher. He died in 2024.
A modern (left) and a baroque style violin made by John McLennan.
The thesis is available on line: The violin: music acoustics from baroque to romantic (34 Mbyte).
The thesis has also an on-line appendix, containing chiefly the sound files of the violin being played in its various configurations.
Sound files and analysis of The Effect of the Soundpost on Violin Sound.Some calculations of Monopole Radiation at Low Frequencies in the Violin.
The Soundpost: an Update.
A recipe for a violin.
The violin (as I understand it).
Selected publications on violin acoustics
- McLennan, John. (2017). The Soundpost in the violin. This small volume contains six of John's papers and some introductory material. Available as e-book or hardcopy from www.Xlibris.com.
- McLennan, J. E. "The function of f-holes in the violin" Jnl AAMIM XXII (3) September 2003, 5-8.
- McLennan, J. E. "The soundpost in the violin. Part II: The effect of soundpost position on peak resonance and sound output" Jnl AAMIM XX (2) June 2001, 16-27.
- McLennan, J. E. "The soundpost in the violin. Part I: The effect of soundpost stiffness on peak resonance and sound output" Jnl AAMIM XX (1) March 2001, 24-35.
- McLennan, J. E. "A new bowing machine" JCAS Vol 4 (2) Nov 2000, 55-60.
- McLennan, J. E. "The soundpost in the violin". Jnl AAMIM XIX (3) September 2000 17-37.
- McLennan, J. E. "On Varnish". Jnl AAMIM XIX (1) March 2000, 16-27.
- McLennan, J. E. "Some violin response curves and what does the soundpost do", reprinted in M.V.A. Newsletter No 27 April 1997, 6-9.
- McLennan, J. E. "A0 and A1 studies on the violin using C02, Helium and air/Helium mixtures", Acustica, 89, 2003, 176–180.
- McLennan, J. E. "Heat Treatment of Tool Steel for Instrument Makers". Jnl AAMIM Vol XVI (1), March 1997, 6.
- McLennan, J. E. "Heat Treatment of Tool Steel for Instrument Makers", reprinted in BVMA Newsletter, No 9 Autumn 1997, 7.
- McLennan, J. E. "Determination of 'Brinell' hardness of tonewood". Jnl AAMIM Vol. XVI (4), December 1997, 29. Explanation
- McLennan, J. E. "Springing the bassbar". Newsletter BVMA No 6, Winter 96/97, 17.
- McLennan, J. E. "Some questions concerning the violin". AUSTA Journal 14 (3), 1992, 14 and 15 Spring 1993, 13.
- McLennan, J. E. "The art, history and science of violin making". Seminar given to 4th year Engineering undergraduates, August 1993.
- McLennan, J. E. "Shear modulus of tonewood". CAS Journal Vol. 2 No 6 (Series II) 1994, 20. Addendum
- McLennan, J. E. "Some violin response curves and what does the soundpost do". Jnl AAMIM XV (2), 1996, 17.
- McLennan, J. E. "The Catgut Acoustical Society Inc". Jnl AAMIM XV (1), 1996, 18.
- McLennan, J. E. "Cera Colla". Jnl AAMIN XII (2), 1993, 21.
- McLennan, J. E. "The violin, some principal features". Jnl AAMIM XII (2), 1993, 10.
- McLennan, J. E. "Carrying power". Jnl AAMIN VIII (2), 1989, 47.
- McLennan, J. E. "The restoration of sunken arches". Jnl AAMIM V (4), 1986, 19.
- McLennan, J. E. "The arching of the violin". Jnl AAMIM V (4), 1986, 14.
- McLennan, J. E. and Pye, J. "The arching of the violin", in "The acoustics of bowed stringed instruments". Tiverton May 1987.
- McLennan, J. E. "Stradivarius escapes ? again". Jnl AAMIM V (1), 1986, 33.
- McLennan, J. E. "Towards some definitions". Jnl AAMIM, V (1) 1986, 26.
- McLennan, J. E. "Moire Contours". Jnl AAMIM, IV (3) 1985, 5.
- McLennan, J. E. "An evaluation of the Giovanni Lucchi Elasticity Tester". Journal Australian Association of Musical Instrument Makers, IX (1) 1990, 38.
- McLennan, J. E. The above paper reprinted in: Il violino come struttura. Liuteria 19, 1987, 21-31.
- McLennan, J. E. "The violin as a structure - a consideration of the static force in the instrument". Catgut Acoustical Society Newsletter #34, November 1980, 15.
- McLennan, J. E. "Air and body modes in the violin". Jnl AAMIM, June 1997, 5.
Email address
John McLennan / jmcl1597@bigpond.net.au
Violin Acoustics at UNSW
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