This handmade, modern instrument is available for sale, and a real bargain when compared with new commissions. The scroll was initially carved while I was studying at the Violin Making School of America; the one piece maple back is cut on the slab, and fair in terms of figure. The top is the first top is very fine grained sitka spruce. The instrument took form over the years as a secondary project, while I was engaged with restorations and repairs of customer’s instruments and neared completion of my corner-less model viola. However, this is not to say that it was second in terms of effort, but rather a place where I allowed myself freedom to experiment with acoustic design. The end result is a wider bodied violin that favours the richer lower register, almost emulating the viola in terms of voicing, it may be used as a model in the future for the creation of a five string violin.
- *The beginning of the end; my violin sun-tanning in my mother’s backyard
- *The “ff” holes have more slant than most of my other instruments: Above is the initial sawing of them.
- Photo taken just before leaving to play with the symphony of the kootenays http://sotk.ca/
The violin has been played regularly and its tone continues to develop and improve; I used it for one of my performances with the Symphony of the Kootenays.
It has a quick response and there has been tried with different strings, bows and even fittings. It’s current setup includes; rose wood fittings, perfection pegs, Evah Pirazzi strings with Goldbrokat (by Lenzner) “e”.
Price for complete outfit is $4,400