Andrea Amati Viola in Cherry

Back: Domestic Cherry, One piece
Top: Italian Spruce
Neck and head: Domestic Cherry

Antiqued oil varnish

Body length: 416 (16.3/8″)
Bouts: 198, 138, 241
Ribs: 35 at top block, 38 at lower block
String length: 373
Stop: 222

This viola is loosely based on Andrea Amati, I made it as my project at the annual Oberlin Violinmakers Workshop, I’d been wanting to try cherry as a back wood for some time as I love the way it looks, and it rings well  when tapped.  I happened across this piece of wood that had a spectacular deep,  V- chevron figure in it. It’s unusual to see a V on a one piece back..  The figure only shows subtly under the varnish but the wood has other nice visual features.  Check out the grain lining on the back and the gorgeous medullary fleck on the ribs and scroll.

Tonally I was expecting  a bright clear tone (in contrast to the warm rich tone  of the poplar violas), and that is what I got.  I would say that the sound is very similar to that of  a maple viola