Baroque and Modern Stringed Instruments

Wendy's Viols, Charlie Ogle Viols, Chinese Viols, Vielles

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New Items

11/6/07

All Recorders, by Size/Price Contact

Used Instruments, 11/6/07

Upcoming Workshop Venues

Lazar's Early Music

Violas da Gamba & Vielles

Wendy Gillespie's Viols

Lu-Mi Chinese Viols

Charlie Ogle Chinese Viols

Bernie Lehmann Rebecs (selling out)

Stefan Puchalski's Vielles

Bows

Soft Cases

Instrument Stands

Pirastro Strings

Accessories

 

 

  I normally have a few dozen in stock at any one time.

 

Wendy's Viols

Lu-Mi Chinese Viols

Models

6 string bass, Richard Meares,
1660 (4 sizes)

7 string bass, Nicolas Bertrand,
1704 (2 sizes)

Tenor, Henry Jaye (2 sizes)

Treble, Henry Jaye,
1620 (2 sizes)

Pardessus, 6-string in g

Violone in A/Bass in D (all gut)

Details and prices below

Pirastro Strings

Instrument Stands

 

Wendy 7-string viol

BIG SOUND!

(small price)

Wendy's Viols (Lu-Mi Strings) are offered in North America exclusively by Bill Lazar of Lazar's Early Music. Commissioned by Finnish gambist Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, these instruments are hand-made in Beijing, China by master Wang Zhi Ming, who learned violin-making from his father, who studied classic German methods. 

These viols are made from very high quality wood using methods faithful to the authentic early string light construction techniques, giving them a good timbre and a beautiful appearance.  The ribs, backs, and necks are made of figured sycamore, the tops and soundpost plate of spruce, and the pegs of ebony.  The fingerboards are made in four parts, spruce in the middle, thin plates of sycamore on both sides and a thin ebony or bird eye maple veneer on top, and tailpieces of sycamore with ebony or birds-eye maple veneer.  Intricate purfling adorns the tops and backs. All wood is fully kiln-dried for stability in extreme climates.

The smaller viols are modeled after instruments by Jaye and Meares; the 7-string bass (similar to the one shown above) is after Bertrand.  While these are not exact copies of historical instruments (for instance, the belly is not bent), these are real instruments--an excellent value--beautifully built with a sweet, bright sound. You may find less expensive viols, but not with this degree of resonance and craftsmanship. Wendy has played concerts worldwide on these instruments.

And now it may be a lot harder to find cheaper, high quality viols.  Master Wang now offers several new bass models, and a less expensive line of viols to complement these superlative instruments.  The less expensive instruments are made with the same care; the differences are as follows:

Feature Decorated viols (1,2,3,4,5,6) Plain viols  (1,2,3,4)
Wood Highest quality, finest grain aged woods Plainer, aged woods, although tonally almost as responsive
Varnish Thick and glossy Simpler, matte finish
Fingerboard/tailpiece Ebony veneer (1,2), ebony veneer w/burled maple veneer border (1,2), or burled maple veneer (1,2) Solid plain maple (1,2)
Purfling Ornate with decoration, top and back Single line, top and back
Pegs Ebony Rosewood

    

Lu-Mi bass viola da gamba

 

Lu-Mi bass viola da gamba

A carved dragon head on the peg box.

Lu-Mi bass viola da gamba

Decorated 6-string bass with carved pegbox and 'rose'

carved scroll

Carved pegbox (1,2,3,4,5)

A lovely specimen -- a 6-string bass viol after Barak Norman with carved pegbox (1,2,3,4,5), belly decoration, and ornate purfling on the back.

Decorated instruments in stock will have various combinations of belly decoration, ornate purfling, fingerboard/tailpiece woods and wood figure.

All instruments are sold with a 14-day, full-money-back guarantee from the date you receive it if you're not satisfied for ANY reason.

All sizes are available now; I often have them all in stock. For the latest information, contact Bill Lazar at jblazar@aol.com.

November, 2007

(For orders outside North America, contact Markku Luolajan-Mikkola.)

Prices now include fitted hard case (except where noted)

Unfortunately, increasing costs and the plunging dollar have necessitated price increases.

Size/Model
 
String
length, mm
Body
length, mm
Upper/middle/lower, mm Picture Price with case*
Decorated Plain
6-string pardessus de viol in g, w/soft case 310-315 320 155/113/195   $2450  
Treble viol in style of Henry Jaye 366 362 173/120/211 Treble $2700 $1875
Large Treble viol after John Hoskins '1609 400 384 190/156/211.5  

$2850

$2000
Tenor viol in style of Henry Jaye 560 535 250/177/308 1,2 $3300 $2675
Larger tenor viol in style of Jaye 577.5 553 258/183/315   $3450  
6-string bass viol after Barak Norman '1692 658 633 279/204/332   $3800

pictures

$3375
6-string bass viol after Richard Meares 693 664 304/220/365 Bass (6-string) $3800

(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

$3375

(1,2,3,4)

6-string consort bass viol after Bertrand-Meares, in soft case. Ideal for Jenkins and Lawes 6-part music.** 745 715 340/236/413 1,2 $3450  
7-string bass viol after Nicolas Bertrand '1701 680 or 700 693 323/233/394 1,2,3,4 $4050 $3450
7-string bass viol after Bertrand, larger model '1720 725 715 340/246/413   $4050  
Violone in A could be used also as all gut bass viol in D., in soft case 800 783 365/263/433   $4100  
Carved pegbox and scroll (1,2,3,4,5) for any decorated viol $475
Carved dragon head & pegbox for any decorated viol $650
Figured snakewood bows from Master Wang's shop for all sizes of viols $450
Bows by Emmanuel Bégin for all sizes of viols $450
See more bows on my bow page  
Padded soft case   1,2,3,4               treble/tenor/bass/7-stringbass $100/$125/$150/$175

Fiberglass cases bought without a viol (limited supply) tr/ten/bass/7-str

$300/$350/$400/$450

     * Prices include hard case; shipping extra

** Works emphasizing the low register, and works with fast passage work in the low register, do well on larger basses like the 74.5 cm string length consort bass.  Fretwork has used such large viols for years for such repertoire.

        Viols are available with a soft case, or no case at a reduced price.

        We also have Chinese Baroque cellos, violas and violins.

About Lu-Mi Strings

by Markku Luolajan-Mikkola

As a teacher of viol at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and when conducting workshops and master classes elsewhere in Europe and in the U.S., I have noticed too often that students don't have a proper viol. And some who would like to play don't have a viol at all. Ten thousand dollars or more for a custom-made viol is often too much for a beginner, and the viols that have been for sale for $2000 or $3000 have been of too low quality. Many who are preparing to be professional musicians and would like to play viol as a second instrument often develop their skills so rapidly that they will need a better viol after some months. The waiting lists of the best makers was too long, sometimes eight to ten years.

I have always been interested in instrument making, and I have asked numerous makers to build cellos, baroque cellos and all kinds of models of viols for me and my students and friends. I had noticed that Chinese modern makers and workshops produce really good-quality modern cellos and violins, and I began searching for a workshop that could produce viols and other baroque stringed instruments.

I found luthier Wang Zhi Ming in Beijing. He is also an excellent violinist and use to play in one of the Beijing Symphony Orchestras His father learned violin-making after the best German tradition, but naturally he had to stop working during the Cultural Revolution. He began again in the late 80s, but he has now retired. Wang and his father have trained and employed more than 10 makers in a workshop. German tradition misunderstood or didn't care about some Italian traditions of violin making such as cross arching of the belly and back. Wang has visited Cremona a couple of times to to update his skills.

I gave Mr. Wang all the information I could about viol making: I sent numerous drawings and more than 100 emails. Later, as the viols began to take shape, I spent time in Beijing to help solve some problems. This process is still going on. I visited Beijing last August to check new models which have been built, and planned with Wang how to make some more new models. We also discuss almost weekly about some details to make Lu-Mi instruments even better.

We don't make exact copies of old models, but all our instruments are certainly real viols. The 6-string viols are made after the English makers Jay, Meares and others, but, for example, the belly is not bent. The 7-string bass is made after Bertrand. The Chinese makers use a drying room before the parts are glued together, so all of their viols should endure humidity going down to 30 percent.

I have been very pleased with the results. In fact, these viols don't feel and look at all like "student" viols. I have even given a couple of concerts with one of their 6-string basses. But I must say my Jane Julier 7-string bass is more than worth the price, as well as my old 17th Century 6-string bass viol.

The bows are made in another workshop by Mr. Zang. I have never met him and Wang helped me to communicate with him to get 4-5 different models of baroque bows. I sent some of my own bows as samplers, but Lu-Mi bows are not exact copies of them. My bows are fluted but the Chinese refused to make fluting after trying it for some bows. I personally think snakewood is better when it is not bend at all or just very little where as pernambuco wood needs some bending to to make the bow firm enough. The first set of Lu-Mi bows were bent but nowadays they are not bent at all. I bought the first 150 kg snakewood in half logs to Zang but now he has his own stock of it. I bought my snakewood from Germany but it grows only in South America (I think).

Wang is also making violin family baroque instruments. At the moment there several models available and more to come: Violins after Amati, Guarnerius or Stradivarius Four sizes of violas corpus 387-444 mm by Gasparo da Salo and Stradivarius Cellos after Montagnana, also a large cello which could be tuned in B flat.

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Charlie Ogle's Chinese Violas da Gamba

 

Models

6 string bass, Richard Meares

6 string bass, Barak Norman

6 string bass, Collichon

7 string bass, Bertrand

Tenor, Barak Norman

Treble, Barak Norman

Pardessus, Guersan

Violone, 89 or 95 cm string length,
G or D tuning

Details and prices below

Pirastro Strings

Instrument Stands

Ordering

Warranty

Charlie Ogle's

Chinese

Violas da Gamba

Ogle Chinese Viol Back

I offer these viols and bows made in China by highly skilled instrument makers under the direction of Charlie Ogle, using high quality materials. The soundboards are hand carved spruce, the backs and sides are figured maple.

These are good instruments, at great prices. They are well designed, well made, and properly set up by Charlie Ogle. Both students and advanced players will find them suitable for all uses.

Charlie Ogle's Chinese viols are sold with a two-week return policy. If you do not like an instrument you may return it (in its original condition) for a full refund, for any reason, within two weeks of receiving it.

All instruments come with a padded soft case, with external compartments for a bow and music: Pictures: 1,2,3,4

Bass viol complete package. Richard Meares model bass viol (69 cm string length) with case, snakewood bow, Korg CA-30 tuner. Everything you need! $2225

Size

Pictures

Model

Measurements (mm)

Price

     

String

Body

Upper

Bout

Lower

Bout

 
Pardessus   Guersan, 5 string         $1225

Treble

1,2,3,4

Barak Norman

360

     

$1000

Alto   for A tuning 480       $1650

Tenor

1,2,3,4

Barak Norman

520

     

$1475

Bass, 6-string

1,2,3,4

Richard Meares

690

     

$1700

    w/ebony fingerboard, tailpiece         $1800
    w/decorative purfling, ebony fingerboard, tailpiece         $2350

Bass, 6-string

1,2,3,4

Barak Norman

650

     

$1750

 

 

w/ebony fingerboard, tailpiece

650

     

$1850

  1 w/decorative purfling, ebony fingerboard, tailpiece         $2350

Bass, 6 string

1

Bertrand

710

     

$1800

Bass, 6 string 1  Festooned John Rose model (available soon) 730       $3200

Bass, 7 string

1

Bertrand

710

675

318

388

$2100

Violone

1(D),2,3(G)

G or D tuning (specify)

890 or 950

     

$3950

We also have Chinese Baroque cellos and violins.                                    Top of Page

 

Soft Cases

Size

Pictures

Price

     

Treble

 

$100

Tenor

 

$125

Bass, 6-string

1,2,3,4

$150

Bass, 7-string

 

$175

 

Charlie Ogle's

Chinese Viola da Gamba Bows

bow frog
bow tip

Bass viol bow, Snakewood, 73 cm long, approximately 85 grams, $425



Ogle Chinese Snakewood Tenor viola da gamba bow frog
bow tip
 

Tenor viol bow, Snakewood, 71 cm long, approximately 65 grams, $425
 

Treble viol bow, Snakewood, $425 (in stock)

Please ask for additional information.

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Ordering

All instruments are sold on approval.  If you don't like the instrument for ANY reason, you may return it in new condition for a full refund within two weeks, less shipping costs.

Although I try to keep instruments in stock, I don't always have all models.  Instruments not in stock can be ordered.  The customer will be notified of any delays.

Violones are currently only available by order.  Unless one happens to be in stock, expect a 3-4 month wait for the instrument.

Warranty

The instrument is warranted against any defects in material or workmanship for a period of one year.  Adjustments to setup are covered for the same period.  The customer is responsible for shipping costs for any adjustments after the first 90 days.



Louis Bégin Viol Bows

Louis Bégin, a Canadian bowmaker, has been making bows since 1987, with customers in many countries of the Americas and Europe, as well as in Asia.  His models are very personal, basically inspired by early bows, but his models also include many creations that we could call original bows.  His bows are highly regarded in the viola da gamba community.

Louis Bégin studied Viola da Gamba for 6 years at the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music in the class of Mr. Wieland Kuijken.  He was awarded First Prizes in both the interpretation of the Viola da Gamba and Baroque Chamber Music. He took advantage of those years to meet with many well known musicians and develop his concept of the baroque bow. 

After many years of performing in concert both as a soloist and in baroque chamber music, and teaching in Canadian colleges and universities, he turned to baroque and modern bow making.  He studied with many American masters and French bowmakers.  With the help of a Canada Council grant, he visited European museums to study and measure bows, making several plans and designs and meeting specialists of Baroque interpretation. His professional viol playing ability allows him to fine tune his bows for optimal performance.

Long Marais Bass Viol bow, unfigured snakewood, 79 cm, 75-80 gms, $1500

Long Marais Bass Viol bow, unfigured snakewood, 79 cm, 75-80 gms, $1500

Pictures Model Stick Decorative Options Wt. Price in CAD
  Treble viol round Snakewood or ebony sticks available 52 gms $1300
    fluted     $1400
      Banya   $1500
  Tenor viol round snakewood or ironwood available 60 gms $1300
    fluted     $1400
  Bass viol fluted Short Kuijken model, snakewood, ivory button ~78 gms $1600
  Bass viol round Long Marais model, snakewood, snakewood button ~78 gms $1500
  Double bass round French or German models, snakewood, snakewood frog & button ~105 gms $1500
  Violone round Snakewood stick, frog & button ~95 gms $1500
      Mammoth ivory button   + $50
      Mammoth ivory frog   +$100
      Ebony frogs    

The varnishing on these bows is not too modern and not too Chinese, in the Baroque style. The average weight is from 78 to 82 g which works best with this unfigured snakewood.

The tension on the hair: The average distance from hair to stick in the middle of the bow (ideally, middle of the playing hair) is a minimum of 2 cm to 2.5 cm (3/4" to 1"), more or less depending on the feeling, but not less than 2 cm (3/4").  These bows are made to support a high tension and can bow outward a lot without damage, the limit being the vibrations of the stick. If the tension is adjusted within these hair-to-stick distances, you should find a tension that allows the bow to play stably without vibrations.

 


Chris English Viol Bows

Chris English is a Port Townsend, WA highly skilled bowmaker.  His bows are finely crafted using the highest quality materials, personally chosen from such places as Brazil, Spain and France.  His acquisition and study of materials to learn their characteristics, his interaction with musicians, and his study of bows in collections and museums are all integral factors in his personalized and successful approach to bow making.  His bows are highly regarded in the viola da gamba community.


Bows may be tried on approval.

Pictures Model Decorative Options Price
  Blackwood Mastodon Ivory, Ebony Frog $150
  Ironwood Mastodon Ivory, Ebony Frog $1500
  Figured Snakewood Mastodon Ivory, Ebony Frog $1500
1, 2 Highly Figured Snakewood Mastodon Ivory, Ebony Frog $1500

Approximate Specifications (Examples)

Size Weight Range Weight (grams) / Bow Length (cm) / Free Hair Length (cm)
    Example #1 Example #2 Example #3
Treble 50-55 53 / 71 / 58    
Tenor 58-65 59.5 / 70.5 / 57.7 62 / 71.1 / 58.2  
Bass 78-86 82 / 75.5 / 61.2 79.5 / 76 / 61.5 82.5 / 76.3 / 62

All sizes are the same price.  Other decorative options are available

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Forqueray

This is the very first viola da gamba to appear on a painting in history. The painting was made around 1475-85 for the Hermitage of St. Feliu (St. Félix) in Xàtiva (Valencia, Spain).  From Jose Vasquez

Instrument Stands

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K&M

17580-000-54

Picture Gamba/Cello/Guitar Stand A very unique guitar stand designed especially for acoustic guitars. Also suitable for headless guitars, cellos and french horns. 5-way width adjustment. Compact, folding design makes it easy to transport and store. Exclusive non-marring material to protect guitar finishes is molded onto stand during the manufacturing process. Available in 4 colors. Set includes 3 black, 1 blue, 1 red and 1 green stand. Blue $25.00
Wt: 1.0 kg, H: 340 mm.; fits body depth of about 5"
K&M

17580-000-55

Picture Gamba/Cello/Guitar Stand Same as above Black $25.00
K&M

17580-000-59

Picture Gamba/Cello/Guitar Stand Same as above Red $25.00
K&M

17580-000-60

Picture Gamba/Cello/Guitar Stand Same as above Green $25.00
Peak ST-10   6- or 7-string bass gamba stand  A little extra depth (~5-3/8") to fit many 7-string viols Black $25.00


Pirastro Strings

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Catalog Number String Description Price
     
Pirastro PARDESSUS (HIGH-TREBLE) Strings
267020 SET   $125.00
Pirastro TREBLE-GAMBA Strings
1531 D1 GUT $14.25
1532 A2 GUT $17.50
1533 E3 GUT $18.75
2534 C4 GUT/ALU $34.75
2535 G5 GUT/SIL-PLATED $34.00
2536 D6 GUT/SIL-PLATED $34.00
253020 SET of 6   $153.25
2543 E3</