Violas
Viola Obialto 406mm
Instrument in the making, started August 2024
Reserved
The Obialto model was designed in the Oberlin Violinmakers Workshop to cover the needs of the ample group of musicians in the middle of the range size and after much discussion on what the IDEAL proportions and setup is for a viola.
While still considered a viola of “smallish” size, this instrument is well suited for all medium size players and the accoustic output is deep and well balanced, with a strong C as is expected on a pure classical viola.
This instrument will be ready for trial sometime Summer of 2025.
Preliminary sketches for the new scroll. I am trying to achieve a softer more elegant volute, reminiscent of Amati for this build, moving away from the more Guadagnini influenced carvings of previous instruments made on this mould. Soundholes, purfling and edgework will be of same influence.
Constant evolution…
The instrument I am building is made with a back of black poplar, ribs and necks in flamed pear and a top of Italian, Val de Fiemme spruce. This is a combination of tonewoods that has produced very versatile and incredible well liked violas in the past and I am expecting the same on this one.
Viola J.Barker 398mm
Comission only
I built the Juliet Barker 15 5/8″ . 398mm for the first time when I started working for Juliet in Cambridge, Uk in 2009.
Juliet, a connoiseur of the viola and inlfuenced by Lionel Tertis and the Arthur Richardson design, arrives at this pattern full of charm and excellent accoustic output.
Many are the instruements built over the years on this model and they have all satisfied a segment of players needing a small and light viola of undoubted comfort without forsaking full depth of sound across the register.
The instrument depicted here (now sold) was made in black poplar back, ribs and neck, with a top of italian Val de Fiemme and is being used by a young musician in her postgraduate in Freiburg.
