Viola - Oak Design #1
With the arrival of some American White Oak, a new design was in order. As with the Kowhai violins the shape is after Guarneri rather than Strad, with wider shoulders.
The oak has performed exceptionally well. The tone is deep and resonant, with a dark warmth that envelops the player's ear. The harmonics are particularly rewarding in the lower strings, and can confuse an electronic tuner - both C3 and C4 are heard!
This was first strung in mid-July 2021, and then a weeks spent in tuning the set-up. Sound-post location, second bridge cutting, reset the neck angle and shaping the fingerboard were all part of this process, and completed July 22, 2021, ready for a period of regular playing to develop the sound.
And as for the development of this instrument...
Face: Spruce
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard, Tail and Chin: Rimu - cut from the same board
Shaping the back highlighted how much harder a wood oak is than maple, but slow and steady, with a repair to a hidden flaw in the timber brought the oak back to a smooth finish that highlighted the natural grain.
The face is carved from spruce, with f-holes cut long to help with the voice.
The ribs were cut from the same piece of oak that the back was carved from.
The neck is of conventional measurements, and from maple.
As the back and ribs are all oak, I carved an oak leaf and acorn motif around the back of the scroll, using acorns to define the button profile.
Varnish is a combination of blonde shellac/rosin on the darker oak and garnet shellac/rosin in the lighter spruce.
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