Archives for December 2017

I've made these violas regularly over the years. I came up with the design as a way of making a manageable instrument with an excellent sound that would be slightly less expensive to make than a standard viola design, so ideal for younger players. Several institutions have asked me to make these violas for loan to their pupils including the junior department of the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham's School of Music. A number of adults have also bought this model, finding it … [Read more...]

I'm making this viola for my rental scheme, and there is already a young player lined up for it, who is currently hiring a smaller viola from me. I have made these violas regularly over the years, and refined the design to make an instrument that is easy to play, light and which sounds really good – with a genuine viola quality of sound and a rich C string. The viola has a two-piece back of nicely figured maple which I've had in my stocks for some years. The front is of fine-grain, high … [Read more...]