Quintones

Around 1800 frenchman M.Woldemar build a five-string viola, named „violon alto“, with which it was much easier to play soloparts of violaliterature of that time. As well did N.Chappuy in Mirecourt around 1740. His quinton was tuned diverse: g-d-a-d-g .Thus the violin players avoided to change positions. Shape and body-length have been more or less that of the violin.

 With regard to modern demand of sound volume and carrying capacity I developed a body-shape that combines sufficient corpus volume with the space necessary for any bow movement.

I build quintones in violin size in four corpus lengths: 355, 360, 365 and 370 mm.

The smaller models have a sound as brillant as the violin while the bigger ones rather sound like a viola.

The viola models are 390, 400 and 410 mm long (vibrating string length from 355 up to 375mm possible).

 I use to make the top (belly) basically in two techniques:

a) carved arching out of a massive but joined piece of 10-years stored spruce from the alps ( as it is usual in modern-classical violinmaking).

b) bent arching (early baroque building technique)

 In 2014 I developed together with jazzviolinist Thomas Prokein (Leipzig, Germany) an asymmetric violin quinton with which it is much easier to play in higher positions. With its strong sound I recommend this model for professional musicians!

 In 2016 the F-QUINTON had its first appearance during the TFF Rudolstadt festival with Jelena Poprzan („Madame Baheux“). It is a Viola-Quinton with an F-string below ( tuning: F-c-g-d'-a' ; body length: 41,42 or 43 cm ; string length 370-380 mm) .

 ! Since 2017 you can get all my quintones in the asymmetric shape !

Of course I will drop your sound ideas and individual wishes in the making of each single instrument!