This instrument was made in Brighton in the 1980s as part of a set of viols for a community music group, all of them being fitted with guitar tuners as opposed to the traditional friction pegs.
This is one of several of Shan’s instruments that have come into my posession this year. As with the others, this one is a very sensibly made student instrument, having a solid spruce top and maple or sycamore sides/neck but with a plywood back.
The body of the instrument is in reasonable condition. There are a couple scratches and dings here and there, most notably there is a point near the end pin where it seems to be have been dropped on its end and a small crack has appeared in the rib. This appears to have been stabilised however (see last photo).
One peculiar feature of this and several other of these viols is that it is fitted with a remarkable device that allows you to adjusts the neck angle with the turn of a screw in the heel. It is curently fitted with gut strings, the bottom two being wound, and is playing very nicely.
This is being sold without a bow or case, however it is currently living in 3/4 size cello hardcase which I could sell for an additional £80. I also have a non-adjustable bow that I could sell for a further £50
Tuned DGCEAD
Scale Length: 700mm, Overall length 1200mm, length of back 620mm.
