Mr. Bill:
I`m about 6`1. Don`t know how long my arms are, though, I`ll find out. I played on a Scherl & Roth, 16.5 for about 3 months, and then went size crazy. Don`t regret it at all, it works great for me, though, and I experience no pain, but some trouble playing past 5th, mainly because of the size. but the weight distribution is great. The first day of the college semester I forgot mine at home, and used my univerity`s 16.5 - my intervals were crazy that day ...
How do you like your Gama? They`re beautiful instruments, and I hear that they are wonderful players.

Sorry I forgot to mention that. My vibrating string lenth is 15 3/4". I got a really strange looks when I went looking for strings all over San Antonio. I have to play on 16.5" because I can`t find any 17.5" strings. I`m hoping to upgrade to an 18" some day, or get a custom made `viola alta.`

Hi Zayne,

I like the sound of my Gama--as did my family members, and the local luthier, when I tried it out--but I don`t know where it ranks in the world of "serious music".

Juststrings.com stocks strings specifically for big violas. Tomastic Dominants are available for 16.5" (and presume up) size, as well as for 15.5 and 14.5. They also have a seemingly "generic" type with silver wound G &C, which is what I have now.



Your scale length is quite a bit longer than mine: a half inch greater. I found that the 16.5" violas I tried had a scale length of about 15.12", as compared to 15.25 for the 17" I think there must be quite a lot of variation in this regard. (For comparison, a violin is 14" in body, and 13" in vibrating string length).

Helicore are available for 17+ sizes specifically. I am going to try them soon--have been playing with Dominants. (The worst thing about viola is how expensive the strings are. $60 for a set. I just broke the G string after 4 months :-(

It would be interesting to compare the sound of a Genial to a Gama.

I saw a special 20" viola that a guy made from a small cello--he cut down the rib heights---interesting (It was on ebay). I also met someone this weekend who`s cousing played in orchestras, with a 20" viola. SO, they are out there.

A month ago, I tried to do a survey of viola sizes relative to body size, on the rec.bowed-strings newsgroup, but had few replies. I have a feeling that the major factor in size will turn out to be wingspan/height. You would thing that a viola aught to be quite a bit larger than a violin--after all, it`s center frequency is only 67& of a violin.

Regards,

Bill

Thanks for that response, it was really insightful. I have the full string set up with the Helicores on my viola .. they`re really bright, but they have great response. Where was that 20"? I`d like to buy one some day ....

I wish I had an instrument that big; I`m 6`11" with long arms and I play a 15" viola!

Gliga do a 17.5 inch. Next time you upgrade, you know what to get

Liz

Hi again,

On another thread, I found a post by "Bratche" with the following website

http://viola.geargems.com

Perhaps this is the same person as the 20" viola.

I have a carbon fiber full viola 15 inch blue and silver composite strands in it and a carbon fiber bow the same color pater designed

Thanks Mr. Bill, I`ll check that out immediately. If I were to go through and get it, it sure would be a `switch` from my 17.5! ... and I though playing in the higher positions on a 17.5 were difficult ....

I have read with interest the trail of messages about large violas. I myself made the switch from somwhat standard 16.5`ers to the tenors. I for one will never go back! Currently I play copies of the Brothers Amati tenor of 1592 and a whopping copy of the Andrea Guarneri tenor of 1664 at 19 inches. Most recently I obtained a Horlein Ritter from 1884 measures 18.5inches. There is much good information to research. Try Hutchins "New Violin Family" and then do research on the Ritter viola alta. Strings are typically difficult to get in the States, they are more easily purchased through Eorupean dealers. The Helicore very long strings are very good alternative to Dominants. Basically you will need strings with a sounding length of 42cm. You will find the most difficult thing in these large instruments is the string length. The body size is secondary and is troublesome only as far as the width of the shoulders. For the most part a good length is around 41cm. This is managable for most players.

The scratchabratche violist is in Oregon and does do a lot with experimentation. His mail is tobinp@pdx.edu. He is a very nice man and is quite helpful. There is also a maker of tenor violas in Germany, I play his copies. They are beautiful, good and very affordable.

There is no other voice like the viola. And with the viola, Size Does Matter!

Happy playing!

*eyes get big* A 19?? hmmmmm, delicioso!

Also, check out http://www.catgutacoustical.org/research/articles/fiddfam/index.html

Very Interesting.

15 " 3/4 viola by Michael Snowden (I`m short ). Really lovely thing - paid £2500 ($4,700 US) for it from J P Guivier in London.

Is it the common thing in America to play branded instruments i.e. made by companies instead of by individuals?

>>15 " 3/4 viola by Michael Snowden (I`m short ). Really lovely thing - paid £2500 ($4,700 US) for it from J P Guivier in London.<<

That is a good thing :^)

>>Is it the common thing in America to play branded instruments i.e. made by companies instead of by individuals?<<

What, in the land of Mass Marketing? Who would have thought;-)

Seriously though, the "brand" thing only seems to have any real "attraction" or "importance" in the bottom end of the market here. If you want something other than in the beginning or cheap, in other words you want a top instrument, then it is more than even the maker, but the particular instrument. No different I suspect than you have in UK.

If you want to spend less than $1000 and end up with something that is nice, then "bigger players" are what you will find--and overseas labor.

I have read that a violin takes between 100 and 150 hours to make. Let`s say you are good with CNC and you can make it in 60 hours by doing some automated stuff---

60 hours times what? $40 minimum to pay yourself $50k a year and you`ve got $2400 so out of the price range of the beginner/hack/poor man.

regards,

Bill

Ah makes sense.

Over here, generally there isn`t a set "beginner`s instrument" i.e. beginners just take whatever rubbish is given to them/sold to them. There doesn`t seem to be one instrument which dominates the market.