Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-02-07
VIOLIN BUILDING.
The Popular Fallacy that Old Age
Improves the Tone.
How Rrand New FidGIes, Made Equal
to the Old. Are Then Scratched
aud Scared and Vanished
to Sell Well.
TChica go Herald.1


violins'" interrupted the reporter.
"We.l what was going to say is, thai tine
popular idea of time improving the tone OF
violin is absurd. Why there were nu2iNeI''
less instrument makers who lived at tEe
time Of Strad!varun, Amati ana Steiner.
but tier names ere forgotten, nnl
SO are their Instruments, II they
even exist. a poorly constructed iGssrn-
Elcnt will never hcco!ae good one, should =
become a thoueaGl years old. On TIE other
hand, a masterpiece in the art OF violin haii''
ing will not Improve after it, first or seconi
year. About .!:at length Of time is required
for the instrument to adjust itself to the strain
pat upoH il, and If tiat'is once accomplished
that instrument is at it, best, ltis impossible
to improve the tone after that Have you
ever thought of the great strain violin has
to S,andi 1t is something truly wonderful.
In the times of the old masters this strain
from the strings was about sixty pounds, bat
since then, the pitch having been raised
nearly tone and Il half, the strain has in
creased TO ninety pounds And now look at
this fraII structure
The instrument maker took a violin,
finished in the rough. without the varhish,
from the bench, and said That instrument
"ciSEs less bLtln zen ouIlCe~ am tiie st '' ~
ha. 10 bear with Its tiny walls, but httle
thicker than paper woald seem Incredible
repaire that instrument, and am proud OF
it, All tho conditions OF perfection nave been
combined III its ccnstructlon-.uch as a
thorough knowledge OF acoustics proper wool
that wa3 absolutely seasoned, AM rue mana
aui eye OF skilled m2cAanc, guided bF tue
Judgment Of one who hal both scientific alih
practical training. Under these conditions
that instrument was at It's best when /. was
two years od 1t was built thirty years ago.
and Is as good as some 81 the o,oo"
instruments that and'Sputaoly came from any
of the great masters lhe great error OF iNost
modern instrument makers Ia To make Vlo
lo"s too heavy You see they Eavc 10 cor
rect understanding OF the principles 0! music
1t Is MT necessary Tor Al Instrument MAKER
to b, a performer upon any Of the Instruments
he builds. tat E2 n.Ust be able to Judge how
certain EaEllns Of the material Will i"tu-
ei.ce Tie tone. Take, for Instance, the "loSt
experienced piano tuners. they arr hardly
abe 10 play simple waltz, AT least, not well,
but tEey know at an Instant where tie Ie.2ct
H. toEe Is aHh 10" to remedy 1t
Tia; viii give yoI an iGca "t WHa, l
u'ran TO convey "@eA say t.at AN 'AsI''
n,crt r.aHer r.u>t uHderotaAl music
TIE rercrtc. was permitted to inspect
few CT tie vluI!n- ready lof SAFE ana won
dcI,d a; lie a"ttluated look Of theiA ""eil,
yCI see, said the artist, with sigh 81 dare
not :Grn out violin that looks "a new as q
loaf q fresh bread. Such is the stupidity OF
public OPINION that the mUs'cal world VIII
have ard mast have vioitn thar shall .2dE
500 years OLD What = good ab"At Il vl.il
is it, age people think, a"i suppose tins
IDEA coa.l Eever be dl> placed by aHy a",cIh.
o. reasJC.cg- Of cC;.rse, then, these viyl.,
are 'Uld.' | Mess they lock u ola a. tl!Ec
>utsrie, musical wis, acre, might no: appre-
Ciate them, but inside do not taiper with
the instruments OGt,ide they are Ct Tie time
of Henry Navarro. inside, of the lerod Of
President Arthur | DEFY any CLe, except,
re!hnps, t.w uf tloec keen .nl a>;ute ENs.
lsb French and German violin sellers, u
determine tie difference between an lnstru'
nent finished Yesterday here on STATE street
ard enc bait IL C.eMCna III TIE eighteenth
ceLtUry."
Tie man seemed to I've perfectly right.
Shane, color, varn.-h from all the shades of
yellow to glorious red were fJunl III these
instruments the trick OF age seemed to be
perfoct.
How can vcu tell whether your irstru-
ments are UP to the Italian standarli' GUeiieI
tie reporter
The answer is quite practical one" said
the arts. with sly laugh Here is Il
standard. a genuine Guarnerius built by a
pupil of the great Strndivarus. Ii YOU have
the musical ear, and this violin is plcyel
upon. all Won have to do is to listen Then
try one OF my vioins. ana if it is not as good
in sound. why, reject it As to the differences
in material neither YOU ror l. who blilt it,
ran find that out Does not this
brand-new 'o!d' violin look as If it had
the biography Of au old Stradivarius written
on its facet Here is the beginners careless
work. where the novice hammered on it, and