Over the last months I've been involved in a time-consuming but satisfying project. One of my longstanding friends gave me some instruments from the workshop of her late father-in-law, Maurice Bouette. In 1972 Maurice helped set up the Newark School of Violin Making and was its first director; he taught me when I was a student there from 1977-80. I was given two violins and two violas. The project is to return them to playing condition and then to sell them to raise money to fund projects … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2021
331: 15 inch (38cm) viola based on 18th century English instrument, 2021
I'm pleased to revisit this viola, having already made this model as a commission earlier in the year. I was happy with the rich, warm sound it made and so were some of the players who saw it. One of these players has been hiring my small violas for several years, and is now ready to commit to her forever instrument. She's a talented young viola player, currently studying at the Junior RNCM. This model is based on an early English viola which I measured up when I was a violin making student, … [Read more...]
