15 1/2 inch (39.3cm) viola based on Gasparo da Salo  

January 2010

This viola is a commission from a first-year undergraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music - she had one of my 15 inch two-cornered violas while she was a student at Chetham's, and has now decided on the size which will be her permanent instrument.  Claire has quite small hands, so it's been important to choose the model carefully so that it will be comfortable for her to play.  She's tried a few of my violas already so that she's been able to decide which will suit her best.

This model is one I've made a few times before, based on a reduction of a slightly larger Gasparo da Salo instrument.  Gasparo was one of the earliest violin makers, working in the town of Brescia near Lake Garda in Northern Italy during the later part of the sixteenth century.  In fact his name, da Salo, reflects his birthplace, the small town of Salo on the shores of Lake Garda.  I find his work a huge inspiration for violas, because the models are always very manageable for their size, due to a fairly short string length. The conception of design with regard to the proportions of the outline and the shape of the arching help to give a quality of sound which is at once rich and dark but also powerful and projecting.  There is also an incredible spontaneity and freedom in the craftsmanship which I love.

Claire has chosen the wood for the back - an unusual piece of maple with an irregular wild figure, but also a good, crisp quality and nice weight.  This picture shows the initial work - having sawn out the outline oversize, I've roughed out the shape of the arching, working with a large gouge to remove wood quickly.

The ribs are made from strips of maple planed to just over 1mm thick, and heat-bent to shape round a mould.

I've now finalised the outlines of the back and front following the ribs, and almost finished the shape of the arching, prior to fitting the purfling.

The pattern I use for the head for this viola is based on a Gaspar da Salo violin head.  it's quite small and light which makes the viola easier to handle.

Claire has decided that she would like decorative purfling patterns in the back of her viola.  I was quite happy to do this, as it is one of my specialities, and I have had in mind for some time that this technique would make a good subject for two "Trade Secrets" articles for the Strad Magazine.  As a number of action photographs were required, I invited back Julie Oberle, a Newark student who spent two weeks last summer with me on a work experience placement.  She has a knack for taking the right photograph - though it's a new experience for me to do a tricky job of work with a camera lens just inches away from my fingers!

This shot shows how I mark the design on the back, pricking through a paper pattern with a pin.

I then cut the sides of the channel with a knife and pick out the waste wood between the knife cuts.

Then I fit the purfling, which is made from strips of ebony and boxwood, into the channel.  It's quite a big job to prepare all the purfling strips, and I was happy to have Julie here to help with this.

And now the purfling is all done, and the back arching finished.  I love the way that the stylised patterns fit with the irregular figure of the wood.  The next stage is to thickness the back and front.  It's important to balance up lots of things - the shape of the arching, the density and stiffness of the wood, and the sound it makes when tapped.  So each instrument is different and I take some time trying to make sure I've reached the optimal point.

February 2010

The f-holes are now cut in the front.

The final job on the front is to fit the bass bar, which helps support the pressure of the bridge, and reinforces the bass register of the viola.

I've now started to put the body together - this is always one of my favourite parts of making an instrument!  I've taken the ribs off the mould, finished off the inside shapes of the blocks and linings, and glued it to the back.

Having then glued on the front, I've fitted and shaped the neck.  I take a lot of trouble over the neck shape, as it's one of the things that makes a real difference to the playing comfort of the instrument.  Claire has small hands, so we've decided to make the neck extra-narrow at the nut, and I've made it feel slim in the hand.

So now the viola is finished "in the white", ready for varnishing.

March 2010

The viola is now finished.  Claire wanted a light brown varnish so that the decoration would show up well, and I've very slightly antiqued the finish, to soften the overall effect and also to highlight the fleur-de-lys purfling.  It's sounding good - resonant, powerful and even.

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