Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-05-31
IMPROVEMENT OF THE OLD VIOLIN.

FROM THE PIcKENs lALA) REPUBLICAN, OF MAI 10.
For than hundred years VIOLIN has remained
unchanged Improvements have been made in almost every
other musical instrument but the violin Of to-day the
in FORM size, and make with The of 1860 In the
seventeenth century the three Amas the cele
braed makers Of the VIOLIN saduarus and Guarnarous
succeeded these and has been their success they
have singulary lost sight Of Of the first principles Of the
correct violin.
Sir Richard Philips, the colator of "a Million Of Facts
says The violin is the form of instrument which all
would adopt when seeking to produce vibrations Perfect
uniformity and absence Of any substance tending i'm
pede the vibrations essential requisites to the production
Of full, clear, mellow, round tone.
Out townsman, Mr.. WILLIAM B. TILros, experiment.
ing upon old VIOLIN struck with the idea Of improving
the sound both in tone and volume, by removing the
which, in his opinion mpeded the vibration He made the
attempt and succeeded. Determining to test his improve
men by the severes scrutiny he took several Of bis improved
vons 10 New Orleans placed them under the inspection Of
the most eminent musicians the city, explained the nature
of his improvement and received the highest of the
value of his invention.
To satisfy our own mind we left with Mr.. TIton en- ex-
ceen instrument, with full authority his in
testing the improvement. The violin is well known in this
place. and all who have heard its sound declare that has
been benefited at least one hundred per cent.
Mr.. Tilton improve any violin. OF fine in
strumen is capable OF greater improvement than ordinary
one He has experimental dozen more, and has
been completely successful in every instance.
Mr. Tion has patented bis improvement, and has been
strongly advised by his friends here and in New Orleans
j
advice his fortune will be made-West Albanian
The above (says the Republican, exaggeation Of the
wonderful and ingenious discovery which felow-towns
man has made the Of increasing and improving,
in both volume and quality, the tones Of the violin The
suboned extract from letter Us, written by very scien
tc musician in New Orleans whom gave Mr.. Tlton
an Introductory note, is conrmaoy Of the above statement
Of the West AabamiaD, if it needed confirmation
tNEw ORLEANS, APR1L A, 1851.
"DEAR SIR avail myself of the present opportunity to
speak favoraby Of Mr.. Tions improvement.
confess had strong doubts of its prac,icabiy, but
nevertheless left myself entirely free to be convinced The
experiments he made here far satisfied me induce
to permit him attach the improvement to BIS fiddle.
The result has greatly exceeded my expectations
s. II will afford pleasure, therefore, to all the in
fuence possess in recommending TO the public notice and
favor Hf.
M Tton feels such confidence in bis invention that he
challenges the production Of any fiddle that he i'm
prove hundred per He also challenges the produc
ton Of ddes Of any bodys manufacture old instru
ments, limitations whether those and genu
inc heiroons and then with and highly valued
their best counteres with their $780, 1885, l16 &C.
dates compare in the quantity and quality Of tone upon
fair test with of his improved violins We have
hesitation in predicting that this discovery will introduce
in the history Of this copous and exquisite of
all musical instruments. The requisite have been
taken to the invention but letters patent have not
vet issued" .a4-H