Violas
The viola lies within the pitch range where the human ear is most sensitive
to subtle nuances; in each instrument I try to achieve a layered kind of
sound allowing the player many options in tonal exploration and expression.
However, the stress and strain faced by violists is never forgotten. Every
viola is constructed to be ergonomically friendly no matter the size or shape.
Nautilus
A highly flamed one-piece back, spruce top, 16 ½ inch body length describes the physical viola. Violists able to play this large an instrument will be rewarded with a tone of many perspectives influenced by the high arching in both the top and back.
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Titus
Violists hoping for the impossible dream: a big sound from a 16 inch body, need look no further than this da Salo model. At first glance, the shape may look new and unusual, but in the 1500’s violas such as Titus were probably common. The shape solves the problem of how to come by enough internal air space which creates a lot of sound without great body length.
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Octopus
Among all the violas pictured, the Octopus was made with only a few players in mind. The body length is just under 20 inches! Of course the tone is big, fat and juicy. I have shaved off every bit of wood and string length I could to make this viola playable in the horizontal position, but still only NBA size hands and arms should attempt playing the Octopus.
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Dionysus
Small sloping shoulders coupled with large lower bouts gives Dionysus (16 3/8 inch) depth of tone and easy maneuverability.
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Pascal
da Salo’s legacy reaches out again in the design of the Pascal. This viola is quite small: 15¼ inch body length making it a breeze to play, but the tone has a great heart.
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Papillon
A direct descendant of da Salo’s viola is the Papillon. A tiny viola (14 ½ inches), this instrument was made for a petite violist who is no longer in pain and who is now in possession of tone impossible to get with the modern violin shaped instrument.
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Primrose
Like Dionysus, the Primrose (16 5/8 inches) is derived from a viola designed by the violist, Lionel Tertis. All the instruments I have made following these design parameters – small upper bouts, wider lower bouts – have been highly praised by the recipients for their playability and pleasing but big tones.
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