Has anyone played or heard the New Violin Family's Contrabass Violin?

[Blazemourne]

Does it sound better than a normal double bass?

[Francois Blais]

Are you talking about this?:

http://www.newviolinfamily.org/eight.html

I built the tenor violin in 1985, when I was studying luthery back then.

[jsbarber]

The contrabass violin is about equivalent to a 4/4, if my memory serves me. (It is big)

Check out this site:

http://www.hutchinsconsort.org/

They have the complete family and perform as an ensemble with the instruments.

Jim

[COUNT ZACULA]

Originally Posted by Blazemourne

Does it sound better than a normal double bass?

I played one at Hammond-ashleys in Seattle. It was basically a truly full size instrument with cello shoulders. It sounded ok, but it needed some setup work. For all the extra trouble I expected more from it. But that ofcourse was just this specific instrument.

[bejoyous]

The maker of my bass, Peter Chandler, made several of the Alto Violins. He called it a Vertical Viola. If you were about 6' 7" you could probably play it the regular way. They sounded great.
http://www.peterchandler.net/pictures.html

[Jake deVilliers]

I heard the instrument at the GAL Convention last year and also played it briefly. Its a good sounding instrument with an extended nut to make the string length humanoid.

The sound was different from a normal DB; maybe a little more even, with less absolute bottom end due to the shallowness of its body maybe.

The complete set of instruments sounded great together, with a similarity of tone not usually heard in a string ensemble, but I wouldn't say that they were "better".

See the consort if you get the chance.

Jake

[bdowd]

Carleen Hutchins lives not far from me, and a violin friend of mine has become friendly with her and took me over for a visit. She was disappointed she didn't have a bass I could try, but she did have a psuedo-bass, very shallow body, instrument that was absolutely beautiful, made of paduak. The instrument was so heavy, but it had a singing quality, a great instrument. Seems to me the New Violin Family is alive and well!

[Blazemourne]

I emailed Peter asking about the prices of his alto violins, his grand daughter emailed me back and told me he died in January of a massive heart attack =(

[Francois Blais]

Luthier passes away

[jsbarber]

I went to a performance of the Hutchins Consort last night.
http://www.hutchinsconsort.org/

They play the full set of New Violin family instruments. The Contrabass Violin, deepest and largest of the family, has a massive low end. It was somewhat reminiscent of a pipe organ although not as powerful, obviously. It has exceptional projection.

It really was beautiful to hear the whole family of violins, eight in all, with the same sonority. I think it would be amazing to have an orchestra fully using this family of instruments.

Jim