Number 496 at last!
I’ve often been asked about making a cello, and shied away from it purely because of the size and amount work involved. So here, at last, is an instrument in cello tuning that doesn’t need a pick-up truck to chauffeur it about, and you can fit it into the average viola case. In fact, in viola parlez, it’s only a 16 inch back….pretty average sized.
Tuned C G D A from the bottom up, and a whole octave below viola tuning, it’s about as low down as they come, and, as you can see in the first photos, it thinks it is a cello!!!
More info below the pictures.
Traditionally made using a tightly flamed Maple back, I have cut the ribs from the same piece of wood for a dead ringer of a match. It has a Maple neck with a Maple lined Ebony fingerboard and, a Carpathian bear claw Spruce front which has beautiful tight grain. All good for a complex and lush sound. My two cornered asymmetric shape is emphasised with blonde ‘eclipse’ type edge work. The custom tailpiece has five Abalone dots in it to represent my 500 violins and the pegs are ‘Knilling precision fine tune’ wonders.
It sounds pretty awesome. The bass is nice and firm, and it sings and sings as you climb higher up it. To cap it all, I’ve fitted a specially made Skyinbow pick up [thank you Kenny] for those who might want to kid the world they really are playing a cello. It’ll come in a good viola case with one of my special ‘Tim Phillips 500’ viola bows.
It’s unique, plays well, and is very handsome.
The only other instrument I have made like it, is a FIVE string Octave viola which was smuggled away, at dead of night, into the arms of Rhiannon Giddens.
All yours forever, and a day, for, £8250.00. SOLD
A deposit will secure this instrument for you. Deposit paid.
