About my Instruments

During its history, the viol was made in several "styles" and each of these, more or less, had it’s own time and place. Though I’m interested in all types of viols, at present I’m focused on the early-mid 17C. english and late17C. French instruments which had “bent” fronts.

These instruments were made using the technique of bending and joining 5 or 7 thin strips to make the arched shape of the front, which is unlike the other types of viols and violin family instruments where the front was carved from two thick, joined wedges. This type of construction was only "discovered" in surviving instruments about 25 years ago. One can speculate, but nothing is recorded that would tell us exactly why this method of construction was used.

From the luthiers point of view, this is a very significan structural feature, in the way these instruments were made. The wood fibers of the front follow through the arched shape, almost as if it they had grown that way. If done "correctly", the natural virtue of the design, allowing for thinner, lighter, yet strong fronts, would give them something of their own particular sound and responsiveness. It was a design that must have been well appreciated since it was used by some of the best known makers in it's day.

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