Dwight Brown

Andreas, Beautiful work. DLB

:-) DLB

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_campestre maybe useful. i guess since it is of the genus Acer it is a “true” maple? botany is a law unto itself. You will notice the taxonomic levels labeled as “unranked”. DLB

Sorry, Evan’s answer was brewing when I was typing. His answer is much more useful. DLB

I have heard it referred to as Italian Field Maple. I have a feeling the term gets applied to any plain sort of hard wood used by a variety of makers. DLB

I am sitting at a table with Mr. Sam Z. Right now in Dallas (really!) wish you all were here(some of you are!) DLB I was talking with him sitting in the sun looking at some Guarneri violins and showing off pictures of our dogs. He is a very pleasant and gracious person . It was a privilege to meet him.

I get a lot of use out of it. If you belong to VSA you get a bit of a discount as well. DLB

Nikon and Leica are good with the bow. The like the taste of rosin but prefer a nice Musafia case to give the gift of cat hair. DLB

One thing to keep in mind is if you buy a good instrument from an established dealer you are not signing a lifetime marriage contract! Your tastes may change, your needs may change, you may come into some money! If you buy from an established dealer you don't have to keep it for ever. Most dealers will give you 100% credit if you want to buy another different viola. Have Fun! DLB

I do own instruments by the three I listed. Again there are lots of wonderful makers in that price range. I do not own a Matsuda viola but rather a violin. I have played his violas though. DLB

You should have quite a few to choose from in that price range. At the risk of insulting others by not naming them.... Tesuo Matsuda William Whedbee John Dilworth There are lots and lots of others, you should have no problem. DLB

Dr. Sholls that I get at the grocery store. It's a bit messy to take off. I just used some rubbing alchol. Do take the thing off the instrument and go into another room before you open the solvent please. DLB

This is the only one I think? DLB

I have covered chinrests with adhesive mole skin. It was comfortable and worked quite well. When it got too dirty I pealed it off and replaced it. DLB

As near as I know as a collector/player/teacher (non-maker) about the only difference is that wood for a two piece back is usually cheaper that an equal grade one piece. Two piece backs are usually quartered, one piece backs can be slab, quartered, or something in between. I guess I would be more interested in the difference between slab cut and quartered wood. My thought is quartered wood would be more stable but really I have no evidence. DLB