Henry Lenck Posted April 16, 2022 Report Share Posted April 16, 2022 (edited) Greetings from viola da gamba making bench! I’ve been doing this for some time now and decided to share my ways with you. For me it’s strictly viols in all sizes. I’ve never build a violin in the past and I don’t plan to in the future. I don’t do it full time. It’s more like a chill out activity in my spare time to take my mind off things. Currently working on a tenor viol. Here are some videos from my workshop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSMeBtIXr8Y Enjoy! Edited April 16, 2022 by Henry Lenck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bress Posted April 17, 2022 Report Share Posted April 17, 2022 Nice video. I look forward to seeing more of your work. -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davide Sora Posted April 17, 2022 Report Share Posted April 17, 2022 Nice video! Keep making them, there isn't much information available about viola da gamba making on the web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted April 17, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2022 That's true. Viol making seems to be shrouded with mystery. You have to do some serious digging to find information on the topic. I hope my work will change that so be patient, there will be more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban Luthier Posted April 17, 2022 Report Share Posted April 17, 2022 I really enjoyed your videos Henry - thanks for posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violguy Posted April 19, 2022 Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 You are my hero!! Keep making those videos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Coleman Posted April 20, 2022 Report Share Posted April 20, 2022 Fantastic videos and workmanship Henry! Making a viol is high on my list. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMaberry Posted April 20, 2022 Report Share Posted April 20, 2022 Way cool! Only thing that could improve your videos would be consort music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterAshton Posted April 21, 2022 Report Share Posted April 21, 2022 Henry, Hoping I can post this as a guest here ...... I must thank you for your YouTube videos. By coincidence, I have just received drawings of the large Tenor by Richard Blunt in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford UK. Just assembling my thoughts and materials and spotted your posts. I have been making instruments (for fun mostly) for a long long time, but only one viol, a Rose Bass. Your care and attention to detail is inspirational and I will be watching your videos with great interest. Will you be doing a carved belly, or bent staves? I am undecided about this for my Blunt Tenor. It was built with staves, but I can't find enough info to risk going this way. Good wishes and thanks again for sharing so generously. Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted April 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2022 On 4/21/2022 at 1:58 PM, PeterAshton said: Will you be doing a carved belly, or bent staves? I am undecided about this for my Blunt Tenor. It was built with staves, but I can't find enough info to risk going this way. I'll be doing a bent top plate. This time I'm going for 7 staves. There will be a detailed video about this process posted on my channel so stay tuned. In the meantime you can search the web for two most valuable pieces of information (at least in my opinion) on the topic of viol bent tops: 1. Viol Construction in 17th-Century England: An Alternative Way of Making Fronts by Dietrich M. Kessler in Early Music, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Jul., 1982), pp. 340-345 2. Making a Viol Soundboard by Shem Mackey in The Strad (Trade Secrets) March 2008 Also check out facebook/instagram of Gesina Liedmeier and Marc Soubeyran. There you'll find lots of useful photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterAshton Posted April 24, 2022 Report Share Posted April 24, 2022 Thanks much for these sources. Have read 1. but will look out for 2. I can still see my archings ending up where they end up! So greatly looking forward to your future videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted April 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2022 Ribs finished https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYyzVfsVydg Now on to the bent top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted May 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 And so the bent soundboard is born https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxiFvOyWUnU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted June 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Soundboard finally finished and ready for a decorative rose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coqL6RJCOHI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban Luthier Posted June 9, 2022 Report Share Posted June 9, 2022 Lovely work and fantastic videos - thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted July 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2022 Inserting a decorative rose into the soundboard. It is a common decorative feature of English viols from the late 16th and 17th centuries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol9x2PrdOOU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted August 17, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2022 After gluing and trimming the overhanging wood from the soundboard the viol is taking its final shape https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQIUdK5zDJ0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted September 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2022 It's done. The fingerboard, tailpiece, neck and back purfling. Everything is ready for varnishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvAnkCYR0DU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban Luthier Posted September 25, 2022 Report Share Posted September 25, 2022 I learn something new every time I watch your videos. Simply extraordinary. Please keep sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted September 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2022 53 minutes ago, Urban Luthier said: I learn something new every time I watch your videos. Simply extraordinary. Please keep sharing! Thank you. I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMaberry Posted September 26, 2022 Report Share Posted September 26, 2022 ,Really inspiring stuff, thanks for sharing! You're like the Davide Sora of gamba. Sorry to bring it up again, but I do find the music pretty distracting and unsuitable to the otherwise outstanding videography. Would it be possible to use some Renaissance/Baroque music, whether it includes gamba or not? I think it would elevate the experience. If not, I think the videos would be more enjoyable without music at all, just the sounds of tools on wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted September 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2022 On 9/26/2022 at 7:00 PM, JacksonMaberry said: ,Really inspiring stuff, thanks for sharing! You're like the Davide Sora of gamba. Sorry to bring it up again, but I do find the music pretty distracting and unsuitable to the otherwise outstanding videography. Would it be possible to use some Renaissance/Baroque music, whether it includes gamba or not? I think it would elevate the experience. If not, I think the videos would be more enjoyable without music at all, just the sounds of tools on wood. I totally agree. But in the land of YouTube you have to play by the rules and be careful with copyrights. It's not easy to find good quality and royalty free baroque/renaissance music. As for the sounds of tools on wood first I would have to invest in a decent mic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted October 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2022 1 layer of ground + 4 layers of oil varnish + wax paste polishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US3VHWxCbSw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Lenck Posted November 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2022 After installing pegs, strings, bridge, frets and soundpost the viol is finally finished. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjNit1fx1pw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarylG Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 Looks great, congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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