Andrew Carruthers "Dimpled Viola," 2020, Not For Sale | Metzler Violins
Andrew Carruthers Off-Beat Series "Dimpled Viola," 2020
This is part of a quartet of off-beat instruments we are proud to host from this luthier. Further details forthcoming.
About the Instrument:
From the maker: This Andrea Guarneri model viola, is a bit of a departure from normal. It was kind of a meditation piece, I was interested in decoration in instruments, how it works and why some forms are acceptable while others are not. There's a blog post with further musings and more pictures. The decorative theme here is the tool work that goes into making an instrument, and the varnish antiquing process. This is a fully functioning instrument and among the better sounding violas that I’ve made.
Back: Aspen
Top: Italian Spruce
Neck: Maple
Finish: Antiqued oil varnish
Length: 412 mm (16.25“)
Upper Bouts: 196 mm
Middle Bouts: 143 mm
Lower Bouts: 242 mm
Ribs: 36 at top block, 36 at lower
About the Maker
Andrew Carruthers (1957- ) is a contemporary luthier who was born in Oxfordshire, England. Carruthers initially worked as a Research Associate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory before pursuing instrument making, whereupon he returned to the United Kingdom to attend the now-defunct Welsh School of Violin Making and Repair. Carruthers then came stateside to Chicago, working under the cello specialist Russell Wagner in the notable Bein & Fushi atelier. Carruthers focused predominantly on repair and restoration at Bein & Fushi, but came in early each day to build his own instruments. In 1994, Carruthers moved to Tacoma, Washington and ran a shop out of his basement, before settling in Santa Rosa, California the next year. Once in Santa Rosa, Carruthers did restorations for dealers and crafted his own instruments in equal measure. In 2015, Carruthers began to focus entirely on stringed instrument making, and has made hundreds of instruments based on Guarneri del Gesù, Stradivarius, Montagana models, as well as building many “off-beat” violins and cellos that expand the aesthetic of his craft. He also employs woods often neglected by other luthiers, including poplar and willow. He has earned several accolades for his instruments, including Violin Society of America’s Silver Medal for Cello Tone, as well as Certificate of Merit for Violin Tone and Cello Tone.
https://www.andrewcarruthers.com/
Description
Andrew Carruthers Off-Beat Series "Dimpled Viola," 2020
This is part of a quartet of off-beat instruments we are proud to host from this luthier. Further details forthcoming.
About the Instrument:
From the maker: This Andrea Guarneri model viola, is a bit of a departure from normal. It was kind of a meditation piece, I was interested in decoration in instruments, how it works and why some forms are acceptable while others are not. There's a blog post with further musings and more pictures. The decorative theme here is the tool work that goes into making an instrument, and the varnish antiquing process. This is a fully functioning instrument and among the better sounding violas that I’ve made.
Back: Aspen
Top: Italian Spruce
Neck: Maple
Finish: Antiqued oil varnish
Length: 412 mm (16.25“)
Upper Bouts: 196 mm
Middle Bouts: 143 mm
Lower Bouts: 242 mm
Ribs: 36 at top block, 36 at lower
About the Maker
Andrew Carruthers (1957- ) is a contemporary luthier who was born in Oxfordshire, England. Carruthers initially worked as a Research Associate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory before pursuing instrument making, whereupon he returned to the United Kingdom to attend the now-defunct Welsh School of Violin Making and Repair. Carruthers then came stateside to Chicago, working under the cello specialist Russell Wagner in the notable Bein & Fushi atelier. Carruthers focused predominantly on repair and restoration at Bein & Fushi, but came in early each day to build his own instruments. In 1994, Carruthers moved to Tacoma, Washington and ran a shop out of his basement, before settling in Santa Rosa, California the next year. Once in Santa Rosa, Carruthers did restorations for dealers and crafted his own instruments in equal measure. In 2015, Carruthers began to focus entirely on stringed instrument making, and has made hundreds of instruments based on Guarneri del Gesù, Stradivarius, Montagana models, as well as building many “off-beat” violins and cellos that expand the aesthetic of his craft. He also employs woods often neglected by other luthiers, including poplar and willow. He has earned several accolades for his instruments, including Violin Society of America’s Silver Medal for Cello Tone, as well as Certificate of Merit for Violin Tone and Cello Tone.
https://www.andrewcarruthers.com/
