September 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 comfortable and responsive. This one is destined for my rental scheme.
This week I’ve started work on the back and front. For the back I’ve chosen a piece of slab-sawn maple with an attractive mottled figure, light in weight. The front is from spruce that I bought in France a few years ago, with a good broad grain which is ideally suited to violas. Firstly I roughed out the arching of the back and front, and after finalising the outlines, I fitted the purfling. Once that was done, I was able to finish the back and front archings.
The next stage was to thickness the back and front. I start by removing the bulk of the wood with one of my homemade wooden scrub planes, and then finish with small brass thumb planes and scrapers. Each piece of wood is different as regards its density and stiffness, so as I get close to my idea of what the final thickness will be, I tap the wood and check its flexibility and weight, taking off small amounts until I’m happy with how it sounds and feels.
With the thicknessing finished, I’ve started work on the ribs. For this model of viola, I build them directly on the back, using a simple wooden frame to support the blocks which reinforce the ribs at the top, bottom and corners. The ribs themselves are made of maple, planed down to just over 1mm thick.
