The making process

Viola d'amore scroll

Carving of a hollow scroll commissioned by Fabio Biondi for his viola d’amore

In Cremona during the 16th century a method was developed, still unsurpassed today, which guaranteed at the same time the consistency and uniqueness of each instrument.
This process was based on the use of the internal mould, traced following the geometrical and proportional knowledge of the Renaissance; this method can still be used today through the interpretation of the classical models or by the use of the same principles.
It is a process of imitation and natural innovation, as well as natural is the element with which every violin maker begins: the wood. Nonetheless the best materials for making a precious instrument are extremely rare; it is not only the way in which a spruce tree develops, its tight and regular annual growths or the aesthetic effect of the maple curl.
The wood must be selected according to the best acoustic criteria of lightness and resistance; for example only one out of fifty or a hundred pieces of the best quality can be considered suitable for making a Scrollavezza & Zanrè instrument. The same patience and knowledge of the materials is required in the preparation of the linseed-oil varnish, similar in its composition to that of the classical recipes, which consequently has comparable texture, coloring and acoustic characteristics and with a tendency to develop the same patina and wear in time.