JAVS Fall 2022

Example 4 c and d: Maple slab cut (tangential) and ash wood in a cello back.

Example 6: A viola by Vermont Violins, Richelieu line, with a Sonowood fingerboard.

These were all acoustically satisfying. Pear has a higher weight, therefore instruments made of that wood feel and are heavier than poplar or maple for example. The interior wood of violas for upper, lower, and corner blocks—as well as the linings—can be many different woods and is the choice of the maker. Traditionally, spruce or willow have been used. I know of some makers using cherry or pear wood. Personally, I prefer red cedar (maybe it keeps wood worms away). The blocks are used as glue points for the rib (sides) garland and the linings are used to increase the glue surface between sides and top/back.

Example 5: Willow block and linings of a Storioni violin.

Fingerboard and Fittings The fingerboard is certainly an important part of the viola. Historically, many fingerboards were originally made of maple or a similar hardwood; another common method was to have a spruce core laminated with ebony. Ebony has been the number one choice for makers setting up their instruments now for centuries. Unfortunately, ebony is already under legal protection in many countries it is growing in. The only source that can export it legally is Cameroon, therefore, a good quality of ebony is increasingly hard to find—especially when you like the

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 2, Fall 2022

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