Bass Viola da
Gamba, by Charles Milliken 1996 This instrument is a close duplication
of a piece in the Witten-Wrawlins Collection that was built by Ventura
Linardo in 1582. The viol has a golden yellow oil finish and is in excellent
condition. Three layer purfling lines the belly, back, scroll, fingerboard
and tailpiece of this instrument that was constructed with Hide Glue. The
Sound board is solid Scitca Spruce with only one joint up the middle as
the angled back. Highly figured Curly Maple makes up the rest of the viol
with the exception of the Ebony tuning pegs and hookbar. The viol's voice
sings in the same style as it's rich appearance. This unusually light instrument
is much better than student quality. The sound board was electronically
tuned with the Chladni technique of tuning that was developed by Ernst
F. F. Chladni. Two of the sound boards nodal patterns can be seen in the
picture below as the aluminum flakes define it. In this method of tuning
a speaker was used to excite the sound board while a frequency generator
tuned in it's resonance frequencies. The goal and result was a strong rich
tone with a rapid attack rate.
