“Finishing this hand-carved instrument with a traditional oil-based varnish accentuates the natural beauty and detail of the selected spruce and maple, and the addition of upgraded fittings completes this superb instrument.”

Don't forget to choose the correct size of instrument.

The Hidersine Venezia Viola is available in 16", 15.5", 15" and 14"

This model is 15.5", so will be suitable for most adults, but we strongly recommend you speak to your local music store or your music teacher to ensure you, your child or your student are measured for the correct size.

Your new Hidersine instrument will have already been inspected and setup ‘ready to play’ in our UK service workshops. This means that you can buy with confidence, take your new instrument along to your lesson and be ready to go from the off. .

Your Hidersine Venezia viola is supplied as an outfit, which is to say it is complete with what you need to get started. The Viola is supplied in a shockproof case with internal accessory compartments and an outer music pocket.

Most importantly, your Venezia outfit includes an upgraded, premium Fully-Mounted brazilwood bow. Just tighten the hair, apply a little Hidersine rosin, and the bow is ready to play… as you will be too.

Everyone loves an old, antique viola, and so using clever techniques developed over many years, the Hidersine Venezia has various ‘antique’ markers and is finished with a rouge-brown, oil varnish. This varnish is one of the most traditional bowed instrument finish applications and results a slightly lighter colour than other techniques. Each instrument is uniquely treated to replicate the appearance of a much-loved and often-played example, with slight pitting and wear-marks evident across the body.

The bow is naturally one of the most important parts of any bowed instrument setup, and the particular bow supplied with the Venezia Viola has been upgraded to a ‘Fully-Mounted’, high -quality Brazilwood model.

The term ‘Fully-Mounted’, refers to an upgraded and more intricate join between the ‘frog’ and the ‘stick’. There is a smooth metal plate between the frog and the bow stick, allowing a smooth fit and protection for the wood as it slides back and forth as the bow is tightened and loosened. So, not only will the Venezia’s included bow assist in producing a superb tone, it will perform its duties for a long time to come.

Hidersine Venezia instruments use seasoned maple for the bridges of each violin or viola. 

The use of ‘seasoned’ tonewoods in musical instrument manufacture is well known. When a tonewood, such as maple, has been seasoned, it infers that the timber has been stored in a controlled environment for a reasonable period. The exact time can vary, but instrument luthiers will pay a premium for wood that has seasoned for 5, 10, 20 or more years. 

When wood is initially harvested, it has a high moisture content, which over time will dissipate. This lowering of moisture content is one of the most important parts of the seasoning process, and as the wood is formed into its new (bridge) shape, it brings with it a new natural state for the material. One in which the wood fibres settle into a more coherent whole and will transmit vibration and resonance more effectively. Therefore, the string vibrations are carried through the bridge to the sound-table more authentically, which will result in further improvement of the tone of your violin or viola.

Hidersine Venezia instruments feature a hand-carved solid spruce top – or sound-table. This is important because your instrument’s primary voice is formed by this sound-table, and therefore the top can resonate as a single, coherent structure and sound great as a result. Plus, as the wood ages and the solid tonewood top gradually relaxes at a cellular level into its natural rest state, it will resonate even more naturally, and the sound will improve further.

Hidersine Venezia Violins and Violas not only have solid tops, but they also have beautiful solid, flamed Maple ribs and backs too. These highly figured, solid tonewood sections further enhance the instrument’s natural tone. The top produces the instrument’s primary voice, and the back and sides add the character.

(The term ‘Flamed’ refers to the figuring of the Maple grain, which looks like flames striking across the wood. Maple with a natural ‘flame’ is highly prized, with the most intricate and stunning natural grain patterns demanding very high prices throughout the world of musical instruments.)

The form of your Hidersine Venezia violin or viola will be the result of genuine hand-carving techniques. Not only have the intricate curves of the top, back and ribs been carefully tooled, but the neck and the beautiful scroll (head) has been skilfully crafted.

Although most musical instruments have a fair amount of human input in their building process, unsurprisingly instruments created for the entry-level tend to have much higher levels of machine-made elements. While this makes the process efficient, it can take away from the individual ‘soul’ of each instrument. Each mark from the luthier’s carving tools are there for a specific reason. The amount of time taken to carve the arched tops and back of a viola is integral to their structure – lightness and strength - and the resulting tone. Luthiers have been passing their immense skill down the line for centuries, and in the case of Hidersine Venezia instruments, the skilled hand-carving techniques can be truly appreciated.

Hidersine Venezia violas benefit from a genuine Ebony fingerboard, pegs and chin rest. This prized hardwood has traditionally been used for hundreds of years due to its truly long-lasting properties. Unlike dark-stained or ‘ebonized’ softwoods often used on inferior instruments, genuine Ebony will not mark, pit or wear out under lengthy playing periods. This is essential in areas such as the pegs, which are under a lot of tension from the strings. The shaft of each peg needs to be retain its integrity, and using Ebony is one of the best ways to ensure this. Ebony should remain structurally sound for a very long time, and it will also feel smooth on the fingers and chin, helping make the playing experience more pleasant all round.

Styrofoam Case with accessory compartment and music pocket

Brazilwood, Fully-Mounted bow with Ebony Frog

Hidersine Rosin

Fully Set-up

Before we ship your viola, it will be set-up in our workshop by our specialist string repairer. Unlike many online retailers, we only sell fully set-up instruments. We do not sell 'out of the box'.

The set-up includes:

• Adjusting the tuning pegs so they fit correctly and flush with the peg box.
• Cutting and shaping the bridge - a viola from the supplier will come with a 'blank' bridge which needs to be cut and shaped to correctly fit each individual viola. The feet need to be correctly angled to sit on the instrument and the top of the bridge needs to be shaped to be in line with the curve of the finger-board. If the the bridge is not correctly fitted, the strings can be too high making it difficult to play and the bridge can become unstable.
• Adjusting the top-nut so the strings lie correctly, allowing the viola to play properly.

All this is INCLUDED in our price.