About The Gamba Family
Of violas da gamba there is a variety of shapes, sizes and tunings that it is difficult to put in an order as we would like to as children of science, industrialization and a “modern” logic, to which we are accustomed.
Very generally we know the violone, the bass viola (68 – 71cm), the division viol (62 – 68cm), the lyra viol (55 – 60cm), the tenor viol (47 – 53cm), the alt viol (35 – 41cm) ), the trebleviol (35 – 39cm) and the pardessus viol(32 – 34cm), as well as wikipedia presents these instruments with their minimum and maximum of body length.
I have built, among others, a bass viol following the proportions of a design based on an instrument by Joachim Tielke. In this design – as supposedly in other instruments by this author – those proportions which are used until almost two centuries later in the most famous violins of the Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri era, are already fully present, the proportions of the aforementioned “Codice del violino”, (which were almost never applied to Cellos).
Also in construction Tielke differs from his contemporary and later ones by avoiding the bass bars in the flat back(as it is used in gambas) and replacing them with thin wooden plates glued inside on the back, probably wet.In this way, when shrinking by drying afterwards, the bottom acquires the acoustically necessary curvature and tension.
The Viola da Gamba Tenor
NANNI
There are models of instruments that are born from random circumstances and sometimes give the best results without us being able to define why they work so well. This is the case of the viola da gamba tenor “Nanni” …. Aesthetically it is an austere instrument made of Mexican national woods, for that reason of a more than reasonable price.
Back, ribs and neck are made of cherry and the top in this case was made of Italian spruce.
Its sound is clear, strong and warm with many harmonics and it has an excellent fast response.
“Master, words fall short of all the emotions that your viola “Nanni” makes me evoke: Warm and beautiful, an experience in every note.”
Ixchel Vasco, owner of Nanni
Sorry sold.
With each new instrument, the concept is refined in dialogue with highly experienced musicians. We would be happy to build a new instrument of the same model for you at the shortest possible time.
How it sounds?
The Viola da Gamba Bass
TIELKE
This Viola follows the proportions of a design based on an instrument by Joachim Tielke. In this design – as supposedly in other instruments by this author – the proportions used until almost two centuries later in the most famous Cremonian violins of the times of the Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri are already fully present, the proportions of before mentioned “Codice de violino”, (which were almost never applied to Cellos).
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The 7-string “Tielke” measure is small (64cm) and provided for virtuoso use. It is constructed of Mexican red cedar, which is the reason for a more than reasonable entry cost that is increased only by the fingerboard and tailpiece with marquetry in Ebony and “galalith” and by the finely carved and personalized head, all of my own design.
“¡Ya todo mundo aquí conoce esta viola…es mas famosa que yo….!”
Owner
Sorry sold.
With each new instrument, the concept is refined in dialogue with highly experienced musicians. We would be happy to build a new instrument of the same model for you at the shortest possible time.
