Violas
progress
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Violas have absorbed a lot of my time
in recent years. I've been lucky to have had commissions for a
wide range of sizes, which has helped me to think deeply about all the
problems involved in making violas which are both comfortable for the
player and which sound outstanding. This work has included
the development of my own model of small violas for children and petite
adults, in sizes from 13 1/4 inch to 15 inches. Click
here for more information about my childrens'/student sized violas.
I like to use models based on the very early makers from Brescia in Northern Italy, Gaspar da Salo and Paolo Maggini, which I feel have considerable benefits for the player, both in size and sound quality. The sound quality reconciles two things which can sometimes be opposites; a rich, dark sound and projection with power.
Viola players usually think of size in terms of body length, but string length is also an important consideration. Two violas of the same body length can have string lengths which vary by as much as 25mm. The shorter the string length, the less the left hand has to stretch, and the more comfortable the viola will be. The Brescian violas have the bridge position higher up the body than the Cremonese makers, which is one reason I favour these models.
The models I make for professional players range in size from 15 inches (38cm) to 16 5/8 inches (42.3cm). Even the smallest of these is powerful and resonant, with a focussed and projecting C string. Owners of my violas have included principal players of the English National Ballet and National Youth orchestras as well as members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Oslo Philharmonic, Scottish National and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras.
Many of my violas are made to commission, as I find that this is the best way of producing a viola which is optimal for the player both in sound and in feel. It can be particularly helpful to customise neck shape and size and string spacing to the individual. I also sometimes have violas available from stock.
As a recognised authority on violas, I was invited to give a talk about making violas at the Lutherie 2006 annual conference held at the Newark School of Violinmaking, and subsequently at the 2008 British Violin Making Association annual conference. You can download transcripts of these talks from the Talks and Articles section of this website.
