Joe Swenson Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 Does anyone know the rib height on the MacDonald viola? Putting it beside the Archinto, it looks like the ribs are taller. From my drawing program I estimate the Archinto rib height (lower bout) is about 36 mm, and the MacDonald about 40 mm. Any data available is appreciate. Obviously I'm starting a viola based on the Macdonald. Thanks! Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Carlson Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Joe Swenson said: Does anyone know the rib height on the MacDonald viola? Putting it beside the Archinto, it looks like the ribs are taller. From my drawing program I estimate the Archinto rib height (lower bout) is about 36 mm, and the MacDonald about 40 mm. Any data available is appreciate. Obviously I'm starting a viola based on the Macdonald. Thanks! Joe In the Hill book on Stradivari the Macdonald rib heights are given as 1 1/2 and 1 7/16 inches which translate to 38.1 and 36.5... . I don't know to what precision these measurements are. The following three violas, as I measured them, are: "Archinto" 1696, is 34.5 (end block), 33.7 (upper corner block) and 31.7 (neck block). The "Tuscan" 1690 measures 38.2 (end block) 38.3 (upper corner block)and 36.5 (neck block). The "Gibson" c.1734 is 36.5, 36,1 and 35.6 respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Swenson Posted March 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Bruce Carlson said: In the Hill book on Stradivari the Macdonald rib heights are given as 1 1/2 and 1 7/16 inches which translate to 38.1 and 36.5... . I don't know to what precision these measurements are. The following three violas, as I measured them, are: "Archinto" 1696, is 34.5 (end block), 33.7 (upper corner block) and 31.7 (neck block). The "Tuscan" 1690 measures 38.2 (end block) 38.3 (upper corner block)and 36.5 (neck block). The "Gibson" c.1734 is 36.5, 36,1 and 35.6 respectively. Thanks Bruce! It was clear side by side, the MacDonald has taller ribs. I Have the Ashmolean Stradivarius book and measuring there I can get a similar numbers to yours, on the Archinto. I need to go back to my drawing program now and see if I can understand the Archinto and MacDonald measurements in relation to the photos which are from Cosio Archives. Cheers, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Swenson Posted March 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Cozio Archinto photos must be distorted slightly. I gett 36 mm for the Cozio photos of the Archinto and 40.2 mm for the Macdonald. If I scale the Archinto number, 36 mm down to Bruce's 34.5 mm, then the Macdonald number is 38.5 mm. So its consistent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoGo Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Both Side views are distorted. Both were taken with camera roughly level with upper bouts or even neck heel. That makes the lower end obscured by the lower bouts (you can barely see the endpins). Also the ribs of widest parts were closer to camera than ribs near neck or in waist, and even if pic was taken from large distance (at least 4-5 meters) the distortion can be in millimeters. Your best bet would be looking at tailgut as the end of plate and resize to that length. The only (relatively) reliable measurement of rib height woyld be at neck and perhaps near tailpiece. Measurements from waist would be inflated and moreso the upper and lower bouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Swenson Posted March 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 9 hours ago, HoGo said: Both Side views are distorted. Both were taken with camera roughly level with upper bouts or even neck heel. That makes the lower end obscured by the lower bouts (you can barely see the endpins). Also the ribs of widest parts were closer to camera than ribs near neck or in waist, and even if pic was taken from large distance (at least 4-5 meters) the distortion can be in millimeters. Your best bet would be looking at tailgut as the end of plate and resize to that length. The only (relatively) reliable measurement of rib height woyld be at neck and perhaps near tailpiece. Measurements from waist would be inflated and moreso the upper and lower bouts. Thanks for the detailed info! I'm going with Bruce's numbers which seem to be consistent with the photos when accounting for the distortion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Burgess Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 21 hours ago, Joe Swenson said: Does anyone know the rib height on the MacDonald viola? About the same height as a Quarter Pounder with cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Swenson Posted March 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 4 hours ago, David Burgess said: About the same height as a Quarter Pounder with cheese. I hear they used to call the MacDOnald Viola. the "Big Mac" .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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