focused, bright, projecting

About the Instrument
This viola has a bright, punchy sound. Projecting and focused, it is a bold choice for someone looking for a larger viola. It has a lush brown varnish applied over a light-brown ground. A medium curl figure rises upward from the center joint from the two-piece maple back. Similar flames run along the ribs and scroll.

Interior label reads: “Helmith A. Keller / Masker-luthier / Philadelphia, PA”
Length: 422 mm
Upper Bouts: 206 mm
Middle: 146 mm
Lower Bouts: 247 mm

About the Maker
Helmuth Keller (1931- ) is a renowned contemporary master luthier based in Philadelphia. Keller was born in Fischen, Germany and was initially a violinist, beginning his career at the age of six and playing professionally for a dozen years. He studied to become a luthier at the historic school in Mittenwald, studying under Leo Aschauer and H. Karner. Keller immigrated to Philadelphia after the Second World War, working in the workshop of William Moennig & Son from 1952-1966. Once in Philadelphia, Keller married into the family of Martin Nebel, the German-born luthier who immigrated to the New York and worked for Wurlitzer before opening a shop with his brother in Philadelphia. Keller established his own shop in the City of Brotherly Love in 1966. Keller worked from several established models and also developed many of his own. The meticulousness of his craftsmanship is illustrated in his beautiful handmade purfling. He is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. The shop, now Helmuth A. Keller & Son, continues under the tutelage of Keller’s son, Stephen, extending the legacy of Keller’s impeccable craftsmanship.