Renaissance Viols
Most commercially available viols are intended to be tuned to a pitch of A415Hz. This means that playing together in a group with other instruments requires the gambists to re-tune to A440Hz. Particularly with treble viols, this tends to cause broken strings.
When on vacation in UK recently, I spend a week attending NORVIS, festival of early music held at Barnard Castle in the northern part of England close to the border with Scotland. There were several sessions devoted to Renaissance music played on mixed consorts of instruments all tuned to A440Hz. I was privileged to be allowed to play on one of the Renaissance-style viols constructed by Richard Jones. These viols are built according to what is known of the build pattern of that era. They differ from the Baroque-style viols that are normally offered by luthiers today.
While less heavily built than a cello, the Baroque viol is relatively sturdy. It transmits the energy from the vibrating string through the bridge and thence through a soundpost to the back of the instrument. On the opposite side of the back to the soundpost there is a bass bar that runs along the length of the back to further transmit the energy from the vibrating string so that both the belly and the back are involved in the resonance of the instrument.
Conversely, the Renaissance viol is much more lightly built, following the design of the guitars of the period. There is no bass bar, no sound post, and the instruments are designed to be played tuned to a pitch of A440Hz. The bow has a fixed frog that sets the required tension of the hairs. It is played with a Ganassi-style grip with little, if any, use of the finger to vary the tension of the hairs. The result is a quieter, more intimate instrument that easily complements the lower instruments of the Recorder family. Played alongside a bass recorder, the bass viol gave a wonderful blend of timbre without the overwhelming volume of a Baroque instrument.
The viol I played was made by Richard Jones, who offers a range of Renaissance viols. The bass viol is priced at about 10% more than a Lu-Mi bass. However, his treble is quoted at about double the price of a Lu-Mi treble. As an individual luthier, Richard does maintain a stock of instruments for sale. He has a waiting-list that is about two years long.
Further information may be obtained from rjviols.co.uk
— David Clarke