A violin with a fingerboard made of Swiss Ebony.Photo: Wilhelm Geigenbau AG, Suhr.
Like many tropical wood types, ebony is an endangered species that is tricky to use, such in in-strument manufacturing. Despite strict trade regulations, ebony stocks are plummeting. A substitute is urgently needed. And this is where the Empa spin-off Swiss Wood Solutions comes in. Its product, "Swiss Ebony", consists of modified Swiss maple, which boasts the same properties as ebony - a sustainable and entirely legal solution. A young violinist touches down in Berlin, his fine, expensive instrument in his luggage and eager to get on stage the next evening. He is stopped at customs.
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