What is a Five String Viola?

You’ve heard of the five string violin. Maybe you saw one at a violin maker show, or maybe you know a violinist that plays one. But what about a five string viola? How is a five string violin different from a five string viola, and which is right for you?

A violin is a thoroughly defined instrument. A viola is not.

A violin has a string length of somewhere between 328 and 330mm, it has four strings, and the dimensions of the fingerboard, bridge, and body are generally very well defined. In contrast, though, the viola is a poorly defined instrument. They are generally sized by body size, which may or may not reliably correlate to a change in the string length of the instrument! I have learned that violists are great customers — they are flexible and typically adapt quickly to different reference points and changes in playing dimensions.

A five string violin adds the low C of the viola, but does not increase the string length. In order to qualify as a ‘violin’ it must keep the short string length. I’m sorry to say that it is generally quite difficult to get a low C string to vibrate well at the short 330mm string length. Some luthiers claim that a low C at 330mm will never sound good. I don’t know about that, and I expect that some modern luthiers, like Andrew Carruthers, can get a good sound on a 330mm low C.

A notable exception should be made for electric instruments. Electric violins, like Wood Violins Viper, sound decent with a low F string at 330mm length. To be honest I don’t totally understand how…I’m working on it…

The five string viola is the least defined of them all.

What if we, instead, add a high E to a viola? Then you have a five string viola. The five string viola is even less defined than the five string violin, which is delightful! Most violas have a vibrating string length around 360mm — I’m told that the majority of violists play instruments near this spec.

At this increased length, the high E will need to be tighter, and on some instruments with some strings, that high E might feel too tight or might sound tinny and feel strange (if it is very thin). It’s a matter of personal preference, as long as the fiddle is strong enough to support the additional load.

In contrast to a short low C, a long high E on a five string viola is an easy win.

As a player, a five string viola offers much improved sound. But at what cost? The most significant ‘cost’ is that your finger spacing between notes is significantly longer. I have smaller hands and feel pretty comfortable at 330mm. I simply can’t play a 380mm string length, but a 360mm string length is manageable with some practice.

Another drawback is the increased weight of the instrument and the increased leverage due to the added length. You’ll feel the weight of your pegbox more when it is further from your body.

A five string Modular Fiddle is whatever you’d like it to be.

If you’re looking to expand your fiddle range — either to add a high E to your viola, or a low C to your violin — try it on a 3D printed Modular Fiddle. You can get a customized instrument at a more affordable cost to dabble in a new acoustic range without breaking the bank. Plus, you (just you, no luthier required) can swap out parts and upgrade your instrument as the design matures and improves.

The five string Modular Fiddle is available in three sizes — short (violin length), medium, and long. Go for the short if you want to keep the same fingering as a traditional violin. If you are willing to stretch a bit and want better acoustics, get a medium. The sound is WAY better. Long does not offer noticeably better sound than medium, and adds a lot of tension, so only get a long instrument if you are very tall and need the extra space. Long fiddles are available by request, but short and medium five strings are readily available as kits and complete builds in the shop.

You don’t need a large instrument body to get good viola tone.

One final comment, because I can’t leave this without something that straightforwardly defies centuries of violin making knowledge. You don’t need a large body to get a nice rich and warm tone on the lower tones of the viola. Modular Fiddle bodies are about the size of a 3/4 scale violin. When made with the right materials and print settings they can produce surprisingly rich lower tones but will lack volume and projection (that’s what pickups are for). I’ll just leave it there.