Sometimes you just have to give things a second chance in the world, but they also say third time’s the charm and i’ve never been one to pass on a bad pun, so here’s a battered little viola that still wears its heart on its sleeve, all ready for the world again; sometime in the past, this early 20th century 15 3/8” viola from Schonbach was absolutely shattered, totally crushed. Someone put some love into it and got it singing again and things seemed to be going well for a while, but the going got tough and it literally lost its head. Well, I’m sure it’s been a while, but it’s back again for more and ready to make some music.

All in all, a little attention went a long way and reattaching the neck was remarkably quick and easy. I kept the original pegs because I found the pearl eye without a Parisian ring to be a nice touch, antique in aesthetic and altogether fitting, but rounded out and polished the ends for a finished appearance. Cleaned and inspected, the Viola is equipped with an old stock Aubert bridge, a decorated tailpiece of 115mm, black Wittner style fine tuner with a gold cap, with a fresh set of Evah Gold strings and an Ohrenform chinrest.

I was pleasantly surprised by the strength of this little viola. The response is quick and effortless with easy action and more resistance to heavier articulations than one would expect. The sound itself is strong and resonant, with a fullness that belies its size and a naturally woody quality with a slightly grainy character on back end. It’s got some personality.

Back length: 391mm
Upper bout: 178mm
Lower bout: 222mm
String length: 354mm (just under 14.”)

In pristine condition, I would price a viola like this at $3,400 to $3,800. But for good old “Heartstrings” here, I think $1800 would be more appropriate. It’s a LOT of viola for that price, so if you need a comfortable outdoor instrument or have a student that needs a little extra oomph in their sound, inquire about this one!