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JSI's head luthier |
My project this spring will be to resurrect a relatively unaltered 15 1/4" Mittenwald Baroque viola made in the 1700s. The instrument itself dates from the mid- to late 1700s. When it first arrived, it was set up as a small, modern viola that had decidedly seen better days. Despite its damaged and distorted rib assembly, virtually all of the viola s original Baroque elements still survive. These include a well-fitted, diminutive bass bar, all but one of its small spruce linings, and all six delicately proportioned spruce blocks. There is even the original hand-wrought, large-headed, iron nail hammered in place to aid in the attachment of the neck and scroll assembly nearly 250 years ago. This is indeed a rare find. In the viola's case pocket, we made a surprising and delightful discovery: a perfectly usable set of original, hand carved, boxwood tuning pegs tucked innocently away, having been swapped out at some point for a nondescript set of commercial grade ebony pegs, replete with Parisian eyes! The only original parts missing from the assemblage were the baroque tailpiece and fingerboard. Never fear; fashioning historic replicas of these items is part of my personal pet project preferred prerogative. The one-piece lower bout rib has become distorted over time by excessive tightening of a side-mounted chinrest. Shrinkage of both top and back plates exacerbate the problem, |
as the margins near the lower block no longer exist, resulting in some crumpling of the bass side portion of the rib.
A similar and somewhat more troublesome situation exists in the upper bout, where an erstwhile repair person attempted to increase the angle of the old nailed-in, Baroque-style neck/ fingerboard projection. Having first loosened the joint between the back's lower block platform and the lower block itself, they then jammed in a cross-grained spruce wedge. In this region, as in the lower block area, margins are non-existent, and there is significant rib distortion, as well as a small assortment of minor rib cracks on the treble, or playing, side.  The neck, pegbox, and scroll are in rather remarkable condition, as are the top and back plates astonishing, really, given the instrument's age and extremely light build. All of these factors lead me to believe that setting it up the way it was originally conceived in Baroque style will produce an elegant, lively, responsive, and thoroughly satisfying instrument when played with a period bow on gut strings. Keep an eye out for mention of its completion in our next catalog, and make an appointment with our sales department to come in and experience a piece of authentic musical history! |
| Tips From The Workshop If you have questions about your older instrument, please call us to make an appointment. Marianne can help you decide whether to invest in the extensive repairs often required on older instruments, and give you the best advice to maximize your instrument's playability. Developing an ongoing relationship with highly skilled luthiers with the very best professional reputations will maintain your instrument's health and allow your playing to achieve its highest potential! |
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