I'm in the process of designing a new 5-string. My target market is teachers, and very fluent fiddlers. I want to make the best five-string on the market. I know it won't be to everyone's taste, but it will be first rate. We already make world class instruments, from violins down to basses, so I'm confident about sound and responsiveness. I need your help in getting the setup and ergonomic specs right for most of you.
I'm going to start with the body of our 15 1/2 inch, short scale "soloist" viola. It is a proven design, with a great C for its size, and sweet and strong all the way up the A string. I'll shorten the viola neck to violin length, allowing a little extra neck width.
First question is about scale length. If I leave the body at its current length, the scale is going to be a little less than 1/2 inch longer than a 4/4 violin. I have the option of scaling the body down to where the bridge falls exactly on standard 4/4 violin length. Is it worth the slight loss in bass with a smaller body to have your five string match the scale length of your fiddle exactly? I know I don't have much trouble switching from a violin to a large viola, but I suspect that changing back and forth between *slightly* different scale length could be a real pain. What's your preference?
Next is string spacing and neck width. Some of the classical players we work with are VERY sensitive to neck width,and can feel the difference of a couple of tenths of a millimeter. I'm using a viola neck plus a few tricks to get as much string spread at the nut as I can. What's the minimum string spacing you can play on? What's the widest neck you can tolerate? Any comments here would be most appreciated.
Last question is about bridge radius, height, bow clearance and fingerboard radius. What has been working for you? What doesn't? What would you like to see improved?
I really want to get this as close to right as possible, first time out of the box. We will be looking for beta testers to try out or prototypes and give us feedback before we present these to the open market.
Any issues you may have with current offerings, any wishes or wants are fair game. I want to get as much information from current and future players as I can, so I can make as close to an ideal instrument as I can.
I've been involved with the production and sale of 5 strings since 1990 to both fiddlers and music teachers alike. I'm happy to share with you what I've learned in the process. You can contact me directly through my website: http://adamrsweet.com
But let me share one pointer with you publicly here on this forum: both music teachers and fiddlers prefer the standard 14" violin size over a 15.5 or even 15" viola size.
I'm aiming at the top of the market, and from what I've gathered so far, tone and response are all-important. To have the best C, a viola body would need to be about 18 inches. A five string instrument is necessarily a compromise between C and E. It's hard to get and E string to work with a scale length much over 13 inches, so I'm trying to make the biggest body I can, consistent with a decent E string. There are plenty of 14 inch five strings on the market, but it appears to me that the best selling instruments in the $4000 plus range have larger bodies, for the reasons that I just stated. You just can't get a very good C out of a 14 inch body. Our soloist model is a vast improvement over any 14 inch viola, and still has really good treble response.
If a 14 inch version is desired, that's easy; we can do that next, but it won't sound near as good. What I am after for this project is absolutely the best sound I can get consistent with good playability. That's why my questions are aimed at players who are potentially customers for that kind of instrument. You might be right, but if you are, I'd like to hear it from them.
In your general area, the concertmaster(mistress) of the Boston Pops plays one of our violins and loves it, as does a soloist for the Boston Symphony, Wendy Putnam. We also have an instrument in the New York Philharmonic, and with a lot of other top-level players across the country. Same with violas.
There's been a change in plans. We're probably going to prototype two instruments:
One will be a five string viola with a 15 1/2 inch short scale body based on a proven model that we already make. It will have a 14 inch scale, use a standard E string, and have a BIG sound. Question is, will we be able to get the E to balance.
Second will be the same model, shrunk down to where it has a scale length equal to a 4/4 violin (@13"). Because it is a short scale model, it will have a body length of 14 1/2 inches, and a wide lower bout, which should give it great bass response for its size, and still have a strong E.
I am excited about this project, but I'd still welcome opinions and ideas, positive or negative about the basic instrument, and about bridge and fingerboard curvature, neck width and string spread, etc.
This is a good chance to have input on a new product, to influence its design to meet your wishes.
Hi, Barry, thanks for asking! We've corresponded a little already.
I'm a part of KC Strings. We make and sell violins, violas, cellos, and basses that are played in major symphonies and by touring soloists across the US, and in Europe. We also craft and sell instruments down to entry level. We make our top lines entirely in our shop in KC. The lower lines are partly made to our specifications in Europe or Asia, and completed in our shop. For example, the Richard Williams violins are partly made in Europe, but we do the final woodwork and graduation here, make and install bass bars, do all the varnish work, and install the fingerboards and do the setup here. The lower the price,the more overseas content.
These instruments are my baby, to design, prototype, voice, and market, but they will be shop built in our facility in the Kansas City area. Of course, bench made instruments will be available for anyone who has the desire, time, and money.
I've got high expectations for them because the model they are based on works exceptionally well. We'll have to see whether I can get them to balance the way they need to, but I'm convinced they'll perform extremely well or else I wouldn't be working on them.
If you want to check out our web site, the address is: www.kcstrings.com
Interesting, this extra 1/2 inch. I'm planning a five-string solid-body and I've been thinking about adding some 10 mm:s to the scale length. 10 mm:s would -- relative to standard violin scale -- make it a 9/8 violin and also it would make the same difference as between Gibson and Fender guitars, where Gibson is 24,75 and Fender is 25,5. Personally I would be able to adapt if my fingers are long enough. I've never played a viola, but if my fingers would manage viola scale, I should be able to adapt to 9/8.
Even though the body length on the smaller instrument will be over 14 1/2 inches, or about 370mm, the scale will be the usual 330mm or 13 inches. The same proportion will hold true on the larger instrument: 15 5/8 (397mm) body length, 14 inch (356 mm)scale.
I'm not very big, but I find both scale lengths easy to play. However, my research has been about evenly split between people who wanted a big body, and people who wanted a violin scale. "We aim to please."
Mine will probably have a body 260 mm:s long. From joint to nut the neck will be some 230 mm:s, or 250 measured from the cuttaway. Full access to the fingerboard.