Tag: handmade instrument

Posted on

Five String Cello Progress

Five String Cello Project in Progress

Upgrade to my brain (memory) needed, it turns out:

It turns out that the “Hybrid” cello I chose for the donor corpus, was actually solid wood on back and sides, as well as the top. So, that’s a good thing!  It is still a rather cheap instrument, and so, this is still just a “mock-up” for R&D, so to speak. I will begin the “real thing,” (all handmade by me,) when the customer is satisfied that this is what he wants. (One thing he wanted is all Oregon woods, as far as possible. So this doesn’t qualify.)

Five-string neck is on the way:

The scroll is nearly complete, and I decided to go with the carved back on the scroll, as some of the early instruments had, just for fun.

Treble side five-string cello scroll
Treble side scroll

 

Five-String Cello Scroll in progress, front view.
Scroll front in progress.

 

Bass side view of five-string cello scroll.
Bass side scroll.

 

Five string cello scroll back carving begun.
Scroll back carving begun.

 

I had never tried this type of scroll back, before; Turns out it is a lot of meticulous work! I’m still not done, but I am moving along on it.

Five-string Cello scroll back progress.
Scroll back progress.

 

Five-string cello scroll carving process.
Pressing onward! Hands are getting tired!

 

There will still be a lot of scraping and polishing to do before it is done. Also, I have to make a fingerboard to fit the neck; but then I can install the neck.

Pushing forward to the finish!

 

Thanks for looking!