Belgian luthier makes cello out of flax

In Belgium, a master luthier has created a cello made from a flax composite textile as an environmentally friendly alternative to the protected species of wood often used to produce string instruments. 

Using mirror-twilled fabric layered with flax, Tim Duerinck was able to mimic the patterns—and sounds—of conventional wooden cellos. The cello was made by placing the into a mold and applying a resin with vacuum pressure. 

“The problem is that synthetic materials often have a big environmental footprint, with respect to production, recyclability and so on,” Duerinck says in a Texlab YouTube video. “Flax provides an environmentally friendly alternative.”

Duerinck has explored several alternative materials, including different wood species, other fiber composites, and Styrofoam. The flax material was developed in partnership with textile designer Esther van Schuylenbergh.

Cellist and composer Benjamin Glorieux worked closely with Duerinck to tune the instrument and used the flax cello in a performance during the recent Festival Kortrijk. The flax cello will also be displayed at Kortijk’s Texture Museum, where cellists will be welcome to play it.