Busy summer in Plymouth!

What do violin makers do in Summer? Busy, busy!

Time to play music and enter a completed "festoon"  viola in a community competition.

The Plymouth Center for the Arts offered a summer "fine crafts" opportunity. Violins of Plymouth responded.

On Sunday, July 28 the judges selected the "festoon" viola from the other entries in the "fine crafts wood" category!

This exhibit continues until August 11 on North Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Please plan to visit.

If you see "bug light", you have gone too far!

Another snowy day for violin making at Violins of Plymouth!

This might be a good time to update on the appearance of Violins of Plymouth in the South Shore Living magazine's March issue!

SSL recently visited, interviewed , and photographed my luthier activities in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Although all varnishing work is deferred to the summer (where it is done outside), winter is an excellent time to view the fabrication of several violins and violas!

Jennifer McInerney interviewed with many penetrating and insightfull questions about both my background, present work, instruments, and the history of violins. Scott Eisen photographed my shop and exhibited photographic skills up to and beyond earlier Canon/Nikon artists entertained here! The Rabideau Media Group (Maria and Alison) did an excellent job post-processing, as usual. Many thanks to all!

No "trade secrets" were revealed.

Always great to demonstrate techniques.

Yes, several instruments are available, at this time.

Sometimes I play J.S. Bach for appreciative visitors.

Please consider visiting Violins of Plymouth for your own tour and meet the "renaissance artist" in person. IF YOU COME TODAY, BRING A SHOVEL!

Restoration of Philip P. Wolan violin

Background on the Wolan violin and Salem Massachusetts:

Repair and restoration can be important for the luthier! Recently, I have had opportunity to work on an old, bench-made violin. The label indicates an old (100 years) instrument of Massachusetts fabrication. A search identified Philip P.Wolan as the maker; he was active in Salem, Massachusetts. The instrument date is 1915 and the instrument No. is 32, as seen on the label.

Salem is an historic Massachusetts Bay town situated opposite Plymouth. It shares the same maritime background and offers a similar collection of impressive colonial structures. In the seventeenth century, witches were burned in Salem as deemed necessary by the town fathers!  That practice did not spread across the bay to the Plymouth colony, at that time. If that situation changes, you might see it first here. I will post the video!

During the 19th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem. He worked at the Salem Custom House where he had sufficient time to write the The Scarlet Letter, and other Puritan favorites. No witches were burned at this time.

House of Seven Gables

Salem National Maritime Museum

Stepping forward into the 20th century, talented craftsmen arrived in Salem. Philip P Wolan was one of these. Philip Wolan was keen on the most fine grained spruce for his instrument tops, as can be seen here below.

His spruce is of excellent quality showing no cracks; his rear maple also appears of very high quality.

Fine workmanship at the critical "bee sting" areas is seen.


Specifics on this restoration:

The primary effort was to re-attach the back and top plates with hide glue; glue is applied to separated areas, only. Then a reattachment of the saddle and nut was made. Next was a cleaning and application of a  restorative polish. With the neck joint always a concern, the instrument was strung and slowly brought  to tension, all the while observing neck-attach area. Next, was measured the string clearances near the nut and at the fingerboard end. Finally, Thomastic Dominant strings were fitted!

The final Wolan violin is shown below:

This fine instrument, an example of early Massachusetts craftsmanship, is now returned to its owner and is played daily. It should function well for the remaining portion of the 21st century!

Tuscan-Medici Violas by Antonio Stradivarius

Missing Stradivarius Violas?

Two violas were delivered by Antonio Stradivarius to Ferdinando di Medici (pictured below) in 1690. Only one survived! Where is this missing instrument? Provenance of historic instruments can be very important and interesting. And sometimes disappointing!

First, some viola background. Violas are older than violins and cellos! The first violas by Gaspar da Salo were  of large size than the current instruments. Later, the Amati family and Antonio Stradivarius constructed instruments of approximately this design but smaller . "Design rules " were not as specific as those for violins and cellos so variations exist!

The next question is "how many" did he make. This question is not so easily answered. Although Antonio Stradivarius made as many as 1,000 stringed instruments possibly as few as 10 were violas. While 700 violins and cellos remain, violas did not fare as well. A short list can be made from historic documents.

For example:

1672  one instrument, wide with large head, back and sides poplar, sound holes higher on the front,

1685  two instruments for Bartolomeo Grandi for Duke of Savoy, part of set of six instruments

1690  two violas for the Duke of Tuscany of which one survives. These were "long Strad violas"  with lower sound holes, high arching, broader edge, shorter corners (Stradivarius may have varnished finger board in place!) The surviving instrument may have been strung with more than 4 strings at one time!  In 1803 sold to an Englishman, then into France, back to England (sold in 1913 by Hill brothers) to the Wurlitzer Company (New York), then  in 1925 to Herbert Strauss of the Macy family retailers. Where is the other Stradivarius viols and what happened to it? Will it be discovered? Will any of the others appear?

Ferdinando di Medici, first 1690 viola owner

1695 there exists a cryptic reference to a Stradivarius viola
1696 one, red-orange Stradivarius
1701 see Cozio.com
1707 two violas for Charles III of Spain, none survive
1734 viola with slab back, see Cozio.com

Cosmo di Medici, father of Ferdinando

Below are photos of the Violins of Plymouth reproduction of the 1690 viola!  Some show a G. da Salo viola reproduction. The length is 42.5 cm with a 20.0 cm upper bout, 13.3 cm mid bout, and a 24.8 cm lower bout.

In conclusion, Stradivarius violas are quite rare and the historical provenance records are interrupted and incomplete. These undoubtedly were fine instruments and well worth building as accurate replicas! The reconstruction by Violins of Plymouth has now been completed and "acoustic testing" has begun to fine tune this historic platform. Testing software is, of course, J. S. Bach's Prelude for Solo Cello, arranged for viola. This instrument may have met the approval of Ferdinando di Medici and one hopes he would not have lost it!