Contrabass violin (British nomenclature, contrabass violin).

Donald L. Blatter and Carleen M. Hutchins.

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Alternative Title

Contrabass violin of the New Violin Family.

Instrument

Contrabass new violin ; Contrabass new violin/New violin family/Strings/Musical Instrument

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Donald L. Blatter and Carleen M. Hutchins.

Place Made

North America ; United States of America ; Montclair

Date Made

1963-1964

Description

This instrument has a soundboard of spruce; back, sides, scroll and neck of maple; fingerboard, soundboard bottom protector, and endpin holder of ebony; tailpiece of rosewood; metal pegs. The soundboard is jointed in the centre and is of wide grain. Pieces have been added in the lower bouts to make up the required width. Purfling of dyed pear/poplar/dyed pear. There are plugged holes in the corners and under the fingerboard and tailpiece, the plugs being rosewood. There is an added piece to the top of the treble side to give a little extra length. The sides and back have very little figure in them. The back is made of three pieces, the middle piece more-or-less slab sawn, the outer pieces quarter sawn. There are plugged holes at the top and bottom, as well as square tabs glued to the back on the inside along the joints for added strength. The neck and scroll/pegbox are of 2 pieces, jointed down the centre. Measurements: The soundpost is approximately 17mm thick. The neck is 435mm long and unvarnished; the neck wood is well figured. The fingerboard is 893mm long, 44.1mm wide at the nut, 93.3mm wide at the lower end. Soundboard arch 43mm; Back arch 54mm. Repair History: Repairs to ribs and bass-bar 1976-77 by N. Whitehead and A. Warwick. Inscription: Inscribed in ink with "CMH" monogram, "CONTRA BASS VIOLIN / product of the / CATGUT ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY / Development and Design Carleen M Hutchins, John C Schellerg, Maxwell Kimball, Rembert Wurlitzer, Julius Levine, A. Stuart Hegeman, / Made by Donald L. Blatter, Carleen M. Hutchins 1963-1964 / Sus No. 64"; "CMH" monogram stamped on back. "E A D G" on bridge. With hard case. General literature references: Hutchins 1962; Hutchins 1967; Hutchins 1973; Atwood 1986. Performance characteristics: described in Skeaping 1980. Specific literature references: Darius 1977; Skeaping 1980. Illustration references: New Scientist 75 No. 1061, 21 July 1977, p. 175. Specific usage history: brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987-. Current ownership: Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Other Information

Specific usage history: One of the first complete set of New Violin Octet instruments; brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987- .

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

Instrument: Case: 55.88cm deep, 78.74cm wide at widest, 217.81cm long. ; 2057.

Provenance

Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

2798

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