Wenzl Fuchs 16” Viola – Eltersdorf/Erlangen, Germany 1974

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Label Reads:

Wenzl Fuchs was a Master Violin Maker in Eltersdorf, near Erlangen, the bigger college town. Wenzl came from a family of makers in the Czech village of Schönbach. He and his family were forced out of Czechoslovakia because of the Second World War and settled in the Franconian region of Germany.

He is known for his choice of tonewoods, such as the highly flamed wood of this viola. The craftsmanship of the instrument is excellent, with the f holes being in Stradivarius style. His arching of the plates helps deliver a powerful sound, and his clean carving lines are all beautifully executed. The spruce top has well pronounced medium-width grain which widens towards the flanks. The maple back is highly flamed with medium width flame and the ribs, neck, and scroll match. The scroll and the execution of the corners are spot on. The oil varnish is an orange/brown on a golden ground and shows few signs of playing wear. Yes, the violin has been played and well taken care of. We have restored one top plate saddle crack that was about 1” long. I bushed all four pegs and used the original Parisian eye pegs and tail piece. I cambered the fingerboard and cut a new bridge and soundpost. The viola has no issues and is in very good condition.

Corpus 4001 mm. Major Width 234.0 mm. Minor Width 191.0 mm. Rib Height 37.5 mm. String Length 362.0 mm

Wenzel Fuchs instruments are a proven fine make with very good sound and this viola is from that same mold. The sound has depth and leans most definitely to a woody or reedy tone quality, which I love in a viola sound. The texture is smooth and the sound is even on all the voices. It will capture you just playing on the G and C strings. The sound is soothing and full of strength at the same time. The viola resonates easily and is very easy to get around and play. I have set the instrument up with Evah Golds to add and accentuate that mature warm voice. Power, sustain, and mature warmth all in a German viola with superb craftsmanship and classic beauty.