Czech viola circa 1920
This viola has now sold.
About Czech violin making
This viola was made in Luby, then known by the German name Schönbach. The town had been an important centre of violin making since the second half of the 17th century, flourishing during the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We know that in 1927 the town had a population of 4,500; one third of their number were involved in the making of string instruments.
Luby/ Schönbach less than 20km away from the corresponding German centres of Klingenthal and Markneukirchen. The geographical closeness of the three centres means that there was a good deal of crossover in the workforce, leading to similarities in the construction and style of the instruments made in each. There are a great many Czech instruments from this period, ranging from quickly-made factory instruments to the more carefully constructed workshop instruments.
About the viola
This viola was made around 1920 and has a length of back of 15 and a 1/2 inches. The viola is modelled after the instruments of Stradivari.
The viola has a two piece back of book-matched maple, the flame descending slightly from the centre joint. The front is two pieces of straight-grained spruce, broadening towards the flanks. The varnish is golden-brown in colour, a choice which indicates this viola was a produced as a higher-grade instrument.
How does it sound?
Tonally, this is an unbelievably good sounding instrument for the price. With its slightly smaller size, I would recommend this viola for a younger player still likely to grow. As a reminder, all of our instruments are eligible for our part exchange scheme, meaning that the viola could be traded in for a larger instrument with ease when necessary.
This instrument would also suit a violinist wanting a comfortable viola to play which sounds great and allows for a slightly easier transition between the two instruments.
Condition
The viola is in excellent condition.