Bass viol based on model: Ernst Busch 1630-1641
TECHNICAL DATA
- String lenght: 635 mm
- Body lenght: 625 mm
Soundboard: Val di Fiemme spruce, carved
Back and sides: Bosnian bird’s eye maple
Neck: Bosnian maple
F/board and T/piece: Bosnian flamed maple
Pegs, nut and nail: Ebony and bone
Rosette: Italian walnut
Varnish: Oil, fossil amber based and natural pigments
COMMENT:
When we started studying the Busch/Hiltz instruments we immediately noticed the unconventional proportions and dimensions of those instruments. Some of them are perfectly matching the “classic” measures of the bass, tenor and so on ranges but an another group is right in the middle of those sizes. That’s the case of this little bass, too long to be a tenor and a little bit too short to be a proper bass. It was a little challenge to balance the string tensions to make this beauty properly sing but in the end the result was lovely.
The original manufact was modified over the years, the orginal neck was replaced and some bars and ugly reinforcments were added inside the instrument. We speculated a bit on those aspects, trying to bring a possible originally looking neck and structure to the light. In order to do that we proportioned other original necks and scrolls to this instrument and we cleaned up the inner over-reinforced structure. We worked a bit also on the position of the bridge and the holes to ensure comfortable playability on the festooned shape.
The sound is sweet and full of power despite the small overall proportions.
This is one of the two instruments we photographed and measured at the Germanisches NationalMuseum of Nurnberg and of which we made technical drawings, downloadable in the “Multimedia” section of this site.
Bass viol based on model: Ernst Busch 1630-1641
TECHNICAL DATA
- String lenght: 635 mm
- Body lenght: 625 mm
Soundboard: Val di Fiemme spruce, carved
Back and sides: Bosnian bird’s eye maple
Neck: Bosnian maple
F/board and T/piece: Bosnian flamed maple
Pegs, nut and nail: Ebony and bone
Rosette: Italian walnut
Varnish: Oil, fossil amber based and natural pigments
COMMENT:
When we started studying the Busch/Hiltz instruments we immediately noticed the unconventional proportions and dimensions of those instruments. Some of them are perfectly matching the “classic” measures of the bass, tenor and so on ranges but an another group is right in the middle of those sizes. That’s the case of this little bass, too long to be a tenor and a little bit too short to be a proper bass. It was a little challenge to balance the string tensions to make this beauty properly sing but in the end the result was lovely.
The original manufact was modified over the years, the orginal neck was replaced and some bars and ugly reinforcments were added inside the instrument. We speculated a bit on those aspects, trying to bring a possible originally looking neck and structure to the light. In order to do that we proportioned other original necks and scrolls to this instrument and we cleaned up the inner over-reinforced structure. We worked a bit also on the position of the bridge and the holes to ensure comfortable playability on the festooned shape.
The sound is sweet and full of power despite the small overall proportions.
This is one of the two instruments we photographed and measured at the Germanisches NationalMuseum of Nurnberg and of which we made technical drawings, downloadable in the “Multimedia” section of this site.
