The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-25

t1nued the inventor. IL IS CnaU OF Gne
sounding board of piano. That was
not difficult to think out; but, bless yOu,
there was great deal besides the prin
ciple to discover before 1t could be ap-
piled to the violin.
cit took years of study to teach me
that form had a great deal to do with
it. 1 found that the simple insertion of
a sounding board between the belly and
back of a violin would increase the
volume of tone, but at the sacrifice of
its sweetness and purity. This would
never do. worked for Eve years expert
menting with different forms of sound
ing boards before I began to get some of
the results l sought. l found that one
form would add greatly to the power,
purity and resonance of the E and A
strings, while the G. and 1 strings were
rendered fat and screechy. 1 lost many
nights sleep trying to figure out how to
get the best of that obstinate piece of
catgut. It is needless to go into partic-
ulars further. L subdued that refractory
G. string at last, and now listen to this. -
The Correct Sound.
Taking up one of several violins,
which, from their freedom from spot or
blcnish, showed plainly that they had
but recently been under the touch of the
varnish brush, Mr. Brady screwed the
keys one way or another until the in
Etrument was in tune. Then, picking up
a bow, he drew it with a sweep of his
arm across the strings. The result was
magical. It was as if the very air in the
little shop quivered in response to the
volume Of q sound which issued from
the violin. t
Mr.. Brady is no mean performer, and
his years of experience have taught him
a series Of exercises which best serve to
test the capabilities of the instrument.
For five minutes he drew from the
violin such sounds as could only have
proceeded from a, very superior instru-
ment. By striking the E string with
the finger a sound was produced which
carried like the sound of q bell and died
away with the same reverbato1y undula-
lions.
Mr. Brady laid it down almost reluc-
family as he said:
eff you should tell hundred must
clans that that fiddle was one of dozen
which cost me less than $12 for the lot,
not one of them but would laugh in
your face. But it's the truth. Strung
up and vanished, that grade of fiddle
sells in the shops for about So. so, and
that is too much for some of them
The Sounding Board.
Experience has taught me just where
to fix the sounding board so that the
sound waves as they play back and forth
between the belly and back of the vio-
lin are caught up by it and magnified
and strengthened The acoustic proper
ties of the instrument are augmented,
and the bell metal imparts softness as
well as an added strength to the tone.
81 am we'll aware of the prejudice
which hos long oy1Ste7 AGAINST tho 17sa
of metal in the construction of violins
Those who profess to be posted will
hold up their hands in holy horror at
the idea of metal touching the instru-
ment I shared the prejudice for many
years until found that as the violin
itself owed its tone value to its peculiar
form, so metal plate, if of the proper
form, was the only material which
would give the much desired singing
quality Of tone. -
Mr.. Brady then played his old Gre
mona, and it was impossible to distin-
| guish between the two instruments in
the matter of power and purity of tone
I went the next day with the old gen
tlenan to dealer in Maiden lane,
| where q $500 Amati was for sale
We took along the 81 fiddle and
smuggled it into the shop. The dealer
took the Anati, which was well pre-
served specimen of the great makers
skill, from its envelope of soft sillzen
wrappings and laid it tenderly upon the
counter. 1 asked the professor to test
the instrument.
He did so and drew from it its very
heart.
/ Then, picking up the So fiddle, Mr.
I Brady played the same exercises which
| he had used to test the capabilities of