I graduated in violin making in Luby near Cheb (formerly Schonbach). Right from the beginning I was intrigued by violas, especially by violas d´amore. Among the usual four-string violas I prefer big models of the Brecia School, particularly the ones by Gasparo Bertoloti, nicknamed da Salo.
I base my models on old instruments, chiefly the ones of the Prague School. Beautiful violas d´amore were made by the Prague artists Joan Udalricus Eberle, Johan Georg Hellmer or Thomas Andrea Hulinzky. Among other instruments Jan Krieg´s viola d´amore caught my attention, particularly the elegantly-made head and peghole.
Most of the old violas d´amore have a flat bottom. However, today it is preferred to make a vaulted bottom for its softer colour.

Over the years I developed my own model of a viola d´amore, which was inspired by the masters mentioned above. This model - which I called Tornado – has a corpus of 390 mm, ribs of 50 mm, and a vaulted back board, which is the most common model that I use when making violas d´amore. These violas with a string length of 365 mm are light, pleasant to play and of strong and round sound.

Society member since 2009.

7/7 Model Tornado, 2009
Copy of Eberle 1772
5/5 Viola d'amore
7/7 Viola d'amore 2008

Vratislav Hrubý
Novosady 449/16
784 01 Litovel
Czech Republic

www.caviana.com
espado@seznam.cz