New project

I've started preparations for my next instrument:

A treble viol after the instrument labeled 'Juan Maria da Bressa' in the Ashmolean museum. (In the Hill collection)

It won't be an exact copy of the drawing available. The neck will be a bit longer to allow for a string length of 36 cm (with the bridge at 1/4 from the bottom of the sound holes).

The 'original' neck on the drawing would produce a too short stringlength to be comfortable for me. (And would hardly allow for a 7th. fret to be fitted)

The drawing does not suggest the use of a soundpost. The carved top has a thickening at the bass-side. Not a glued in bass-bar.

I might likt to experiment with soundposts so I think I'll prepare te back to be able to support a soundpost anyway.

Material will be a bit like the bass-viol:

- spruce ('fichte') top
- nut sides and back
- maple neck
- nut fingerboard and tailpiece (from the darker part of the plate)
- boxwood pegs

I'll do some experiments with purfing. If attempts are succesful I want to fit a black-white-black purfing in the top and maybe a white/black/white one in the darker back.

Even some decoration of the fingerboard would be nice! (light/dark/light as well)