Contrabass violin (British nomenclature, contrabass violin).

Technical description: Soundboard of spruce; back, sides, head and neck of maple; fingerboard, soundboard bottom protector, and endpin of ebony; tailpiece of rosewood; metal pegs. The soundboard is jointed in the centre and is of wide grain. Pieces have been added in the lower bouts to make up the required width. Purfling of dyed pear/poplar/dyed pear. Soundboard arch 43mm. There are plugged holes in the corners and under the fingerboard and tailpiece, the plugs being rosewood. There is an added piece to the top of the treble side to give a little extra length. The sides and back have very little figure in them. The back is made of three pieces, the middle piece more-or-less slab sawn, the outer pieces quarter sawn. Back arch 54mm. There are plugged holes at the top and bottom. The neck and head are of 2 pieces, jointed down the centre. The neck is 435 long and unvarnished; the neck wood is well figured. The fingerboard is 893 long, 44.1 wide at the nut, 93.3 wide at the lower end. There are square tabs glued to the back on the inside along the joints for added strength. The soundpost is approximately 17 thick. Repair History: Repairs to ribs and bass-bar 1976-77 by N.Whitehead and A.Warwick.