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I make violins and violas. In the manufacturing process, the top and back plates are precisely carved into an optimal shape with my custom-made precision milling machine. Bellies are of rigid finnish spruce being especially suitable for this purpose. The instruments gain their tonal qualities by applying a new, acoustically efficient varnishing method, where the varnish layer and the wood material form a composite structure resulting in a high acoustical efficiency.
For final sound testing of the finished instruments a special spectrum analysis computer program was developed. Using this program, the tone of each string is analysed graphically with special interest to the attack speed and overtone structure. The analyses are also used to check that the instrument's tone is consistent on all strings.
The tone of the instruments made by this method is exceptionally strong and rich with a fast attack speed and bow response. Also the tone of the new viola is now on a par with that of the violin. The instruments have been acknowledged as both efficient and versatile being competent in both soloist, chamber music and orchestral uses.
Instruments' prices
Satu Savioja, violin, recording 1997, duration 4:28
Sirkka Väisänen, violin, recording 2001, duration 4:55
Max Savikangas, viola, Emil Holmström, piano, recording 2002, duration 5:40
Max Savikangas, viola, recording 2006, duration 2:46
Lassi Kari, violone, recording 2016, duration 2:20
Description of the project of improving the viola by Pekka Mikael Laine and Max Savikangas, resulting in a new instrument type. The article describes also the sound quality of the new instrument using different strings and Max Savikangas' comments on playing the Laine viola.
Laine, Pekka Mikael 2009: The tonal comparison of violas using recorded music excerpts.The article compares four violas built by Pekka Mikael Laine "1/2002", "1/2003", "1/2004" and "1/2005" using recorded music excerpts. The recording was made in May 2009 in the Sipoo Church, Finland. Especially were compared the tonal differences of gut strings and synthetic strings.