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Instrument #1
15” viola, completed 2001
This was my first attempt at lutherie, and was made specifically for my
youngest son, Brian, who, though he promptly quit playing viola, did go
on to learn guitar, and guitar-making. (Google “Alexander Guitars”)
The back and ribs are maple of an unknown variety (Bigleaf, almost
certainly), gotten from a hardwood store. The belly is Englemann
spruce, from the same source. The neck is from a downed Bigleaf maple
near our house at the time (2000-01). Jake Jelley, a luthier friend from
Vancouver, Washington, was a big encouragement to me during the
making of this viola—without him I might not have completed it.
The inlay is abalone shell—I was not aware at the time that “real
luthiers” don’t do this, and I was copying a design from my great-great-
grandfather’s fiddle—a cheap, cottage-industry violin of German origin.
(near Mittenwald, I think, prior to 1900). It is pretty, and I still like it—I
just don’t do that any more.
It has a fairly soft voice, and many, many marks of the amateur, but it is
pretty.
Violas
Instrument #4,
A Lanini-inspired viola, (2004)
This design was also received from Michael Klein, who
got it from Victor Gardner (aka Vittore Giardinieri—
evidently his given name), who apparently got it from
Henry Lanini.
This viola was my best instrument to date, and
everyone who played it loved the tone…but at 420mm
on the body, it was a little large for some people. I used
Bigleaf Maple and Englemann Spruce, with oil varnish,
lightly antiqued.
That’s Dr. William Sloane, in the background, below,
playing this viola—I am on the back left, playing my #3
violin, while Sam Compton and Anya Shoennege are
playing Dr. Sloane’s 1714 Strad, and 1742 del Gesu—
Cajun music, as I recall…
This one was sold to Joshua Wright, and is being
played in a college orchestra in Oregon. He is very
happy with it, as are his teachers and directors.
A Lanini-inspired viola, (2004)
This design was also received from Michael Klein, who
got it from Victor Gardner (aka Vittore Giardinieri—
evidently his given name), who apparently got it from
Henry Lanini.
This viola was my best instrument to date, and
everyone who played it loved the tone…but at 420mm
on the body, it was a little large for some people. I used
Bigleaf Maple and Englemann Spruce, with oil varnish,
lightly antiqued.
That’s Dr. William Sloane, in the background, below,
playing this viola—I am on the back left, playing my #3
violin, while Sam Compton and Anya Shoennege are
playing Dr. Sloane’s 1714 Strad, and 1742 del Gesu—
Cajun music, as I recall…
This one was sold to Joshua Wright, and is being
played in a college orchestra in Oregon. He is very
happy with it, as are his teachers and directors.
Instrument #9,
A 15-3/4” Oliver viola, (2008)
This was inspired partially by Lanini—but it is my own
design, so I named it the “Oliver”—and all the viola
designs I come up with will bear that title, but with
different size designations. Oliver is my middle name,
and that of my Dad and Granddad. When my Dad was
young, he was called Oliver, to avoid confusion, as his
Dad was called Chester, or Chet. This is the first
“Oliver” to join the family in a long while.
The one-piece back is of curly maple (species unknown,
but same as the #2 instrument) from Crosscut
Hardwoods. The belly is of Englemann spruce, from
John Tepper. The sides are of Bigleaf maple from
another hardwood store, while the neck is Bigleaf maple
from John Tepper, again. The blocks are willow, which
I cut and dried, from a local tree, after a storm. This has
the highest arching I have ever made on a viola, so it is
somewhat experimental in nature. It turned out to have
a really big voice—very rich and deep. It is being
played by a young man in Portland.
I used spirit varnish, again...
A 15-3/4” Oliver viola, (2008)
This was inspired partially by Lanini—but it is my own
design, so I named it the “Oliver”—and all the viola
designs I come up with will bear that title, but with
different size designations. Oliver is my middle name,
and that of my Dad and Granddad. When my Dad was
young, he was called Oliver, to avoid confusion, as his
Dad was called Chester, or Chet. This is the first
“Oliver” to join the family in a long while.
The one-piece back is of curly maple (species unknown,
but same as the #2 instrument) from Crosscut
Hardwoods. The belly is of Englemann spruce, from
John Tepper. The sides are of Bigleaf maple from
another hardwood store, while the neck is Bigleaf maple
from John Tepper, again. The blocks are willow, which
I cut and dried, from a local tree, after a storm. This has
the highest arching I have ever made on a viola, so it is
somewhat experimental in nature. It turned out to have
a really big voice—very rich and deep. It is being
played by a young man in Portland.
I used spirit varnish, again...
