E H Roth 16” Viola – Bubenreuth, Germany 1966

The instrument is branded above the label and the label reads:

This 16” Ernst Heinrich Roth Stradivarius Model viola was made in 1966 in Bubenreuth, then West Germany, and is branded above the label with the makers name, town of origin and the #’s A6 0679. The highly respected Roth family has been making bowed string instruments for eight generations and it continues even today. The viola is in good condition and shows cosmetic wear on the spruce top and the maple back plate. The patina on the viola does add to the charm and in Mr. Judd’s eyes is a good sign that it was played and enjoyed by others. We have bushed all four pegs replacing the large Roth/Casperi pegs with a traditional set of carved ebony pegs and carved a new lower corner on the spruce top bass side and cut all new fittings for the instrument.
Tonally this viola is well balance, projects well, with a warm reedy quality to its sound. The instrument has an even tonal character on all four strings and the responsiveness is not overpowering. Great sound, well played look, an excellent choice for the intermediate player looking to move into a European instrument.