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Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
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Author:  douglas ingram [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:09 am ]
Post subject:  Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
A good number of you have been very interested in the viola da gamba that I've been building. Well, it is finally finished!

The biggest hurdle in building this bass viol was the research. All of the learning that was required to understand the instrument and its construction was significant. Compared to when I was learning guitar making, this was a lot of work. There is so much information available for guitar making that the challenge is to make sense of it. The challenge in viol making is just finding the info, then making it.

This viol was not built after any extant model, but rather following a set of student lutherie plans as they were the only ones that I was aware of when I set out upon this journey. I have since become acquainted with far more resource than I was back then.

The top is Lutz Spruce and is formed using bent stave construction. This is not nearly as complicated or difficult as it may sound, and I can see it as viable for other instruments.

The back, sides, and neck are of soft maple. The back is actually a second back. Two summers ago I had a nasty setback due to an extremely high and prolonged humidity event which degraded many of the joints. I deemed it easier to remove the plates and do the repair. For the back, the inlay had been compromised such that I felt it better to start over, and to do a better job in the process.

The inlay on the back is following an example form Richard Meares.

The tuning pegs I turned from Indonesian Rosewood.

The headstock scroll is traditional for a viol. For a viol, it is either an open scroll with a plain back or with relief carving, or a figurative carving in the round. I used celtic style cats as a motif for the carving as my wife, for whom the instrument is for, is a cat lady. I used the same motif for the inlay on the fingerboard and the tailpiece.

My wife, who is a cellist, is now experiencing the joy of transitioning from a four string fret less instrument tuned in fifths to a six string fretted instrument tuned in fourths.

Next up is to make a bow. Probably several in the effort to get it just right.

And a case...
Author:  douglas ingram [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
The inlay on the fingerboard, tailpiece, and back.
Author:  douglas ingram [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
The headstock
Author:  Quine [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
That's some amazing inlay and carving work.
I gotta ask though.....why spend all that effort to make an obscure, mostly obsolete instrument?
Author:  douglas ingram [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Well, the viola da gamba is experiencing a fairly significant revival right now. To call it obsolete would hardly be accurate anymore. Check out Youtube for some examples.

Also, this is for my wife. She's a cellist and loves Baroque music. What would you not do for your love?
Author:  johnparchem [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
wow, a masterpiece. It is gorgeous! Besides the obvious high level of craft you are displaying the design is outstanding. I am sure that is an heirloom instrument starting out its life.
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Simply stunning, Douglas! It's a shame that nobody will see the back when it is played!

Alex
Author:  SteveSmith [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Wow Douglas, it is beautiful!! I've been following this one ever since you started. What a journey!
Author:  Chris Ensor [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
That is amazing. Great work!
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
A fine example of craftsmanship there, Doug! Beautiful work. Your wife must be tickled!
Author:  Bill Hodge [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Superb, Doug!
Author:  DannyV [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 2:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
douglas ingram wrote:
What would you not do for your love?
Awwww. You French guys are just so darn romantic!
[:Y:] [:Y:] [:Y:] I was looking forward to seeing it finished. I think the second back looks better than the first. No? Probably had a few hours of practice on the first. That did suck BTW. Perhaps a sound clip in the future. Love to hear it.

All The Best
Author:  Chris Pile [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
What a STUNNER! I love that delicate scroll. Please tell me more about the tailpiece, with the pin integrated in the body. Again - well done, you deserve BIG atta-boys!
Author:  Michael.N. [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Brilliant! I've often wondered what happened to your gamba build. Now I know what took so long, there's just so much painstaking work gone into it. I think we can call it a true labour of love.
I prefer the sound of the gamba to that of the Cello. Just my opinion.
Author:  Bob Shanklin [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Absolutely beautiful, Doug!! [clap]
Author:  cphanna [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
It's fabulous, Douglas. There isn't a single detail that I don't like. No.....let me rephrase that to: "that does not awe me". Of all the beautiful details, I want to especially compliment you on the attachment of the tailpiece. That is pure elegance in its mechanical simplicity and it looks wonderful!

Congratulations on an incredible accomplishment.

Patrick
Author:  Ruby50 [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Douglas

Just beautiful from conception to execution. Do you have any pictures or a description of tools and techniques to do the geometric inlays?

Ed
Author:  Robbie_McD [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Breathtaking!!!
Truly remarkable!
Congratulations on getting to the end of this par of the journey!

Rob
Author:  rlrhett [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
OK, now a youtube of your wife playing it :-D
Author:  Haans [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Oh, my...
That's craftsmanship!
Author:  MaxBishop [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Just amazing, Doug! What a beautiful instrument. Your work got me to check out some viola da gamba music on youtube. A very haunting sound. Love it!

Best regards,
Max
Author:  DennisK [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Masterpiece! So many things I love about this. The shape, the inlay work and relief carving, the lack of stain.

The fingerboard and tailpiece are pau ferro, correct? Looks great. Gives it an overall feeling of light warmth, without going into pale "substitute wood" territory.

That scroll looks quite fragile! Hope it's well taken care of through the ages. Probably can be glued if it's ever smacked into something and broken off, anyway.

Does it rest directly on the floor when playing? Seems like it would be a little slippery to hold onto without a rubber tipped tail pin.

Does the flat back have ladder braces like a guitar, or is it just thick enough to be strong on its own? Anything special to strengthen it where the soundpost presses against the back?

I think I see a fretted viol in my future... maybe not a true da gamba, but similar 6 stringed, arch topped, flat backed, bowed instrument. Would you mind sharing some basic dimensions on it? Scale length, box length, lower bout width, box depth. Also the tuning, and gauges of strings. I'll probably just wing it on a lot things, but some rough guidelines would be helpful :)
Author:  cphanna [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Soug,
I just read through all the responses again. Alex has a point about the back being hidden while played. Your wife will have to perfect a subtle way of turning it when she stands to bow to her audiences.
Author:  jfmckenna [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
Amazingly beautiful. I would not care if no one played it anymore I would just want to look at it :D

Can you talk more about this bent stave construction?
Author:  mflazar [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Remember that viola da gama? Its finished!
This might be the most exquisite work I've ever seen. Both design and execution are transcendent. As I read the comments, I too wondered why one might undertake something of this complexity when a cello might be more relevant. After perusing youtube, including one video which explains the differences between the two I began to understand a little. Then I listened to a video of the lady virtuoso Nima Ben David. Absolutely incredible. You just have to be so proud! I can't thank you enough for sharing this.
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