Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25


The. arching of the breast and back
requires Che closest scrutiny II the
Violin is too high in build, it's tone
lacks volume; il toe low 1t lacks SYM
pathetic quality. The amount Of the
swelling is determined variously by the
makers of different nationalities and
schools Many of the best violins Of
Saradivari and<Guiseppi Guarneri Del
Jesu have total depth of about rs
inches.
Once the proper arching has been
determined, each piece lit is in reality
two pieces glued longitudinally) is
worked out by hand. The manufactur-
ers of cheap instruments in Paris and
elsewhere steam or boil sheet of fir
or pine until it is soft and then apply
metallic die to it, A few minutes
pressure accomplishes what resembles
the result of days of labor with ehisels,
planes and scrapers. The effect of the
pressing however, is to cause so many
minute breaks in the woods structure
that the violin so produced lacks brill
laney of tone. The machine work lit
orally breaks its spirit
The nlatter of the thickness of the
vioIin.s heart is vital. The wood
should not be of a uniform depth
throughout its area. The thickcst part
comes directly under the bridge and
around the S-shaped sound holes.
From thence, according to a carefully
graduated scale, the sheet of spruce
grows thinner toward the outer edges.
To test whether this graduation is even.
as it should be, the craftsman con-
stanily uses calipers Which multiply
tire variations eight fold. As he runs
Tire measuring apparatus from the
bridge toward either end The dropping
of an index hand tells that the wood
separating the calfper tips Is steadily
growing thinner and thinner. IL the
index drops too sudaenlyNa mistake has
evidently been mada in planning too
CLOSELY. If the index hand should stay
stationary or begin To rise again it
would be seen that a considerable
lump had net been properly taken care
of.
When finally each part of the fiddle
has been brought TO the right shape
there is stretched below the breast a
strip of Gne- grained spruce called tbs
bass bar. This follows the line of the
G string On the opposite side and
back OF the bridge. is placed the verti-
cal sound post connecting the breast
with the back The correct location
of this post is important. If the SCUM
post is out OF position the violin is de-
feeti.'e in tone.
After AL the parts have been assem-
bled the application of 4 suitable
vainish remains TO complete the in
strument. The covering with a compoz
4
it does not merely serve for decoration.
The .arnish very materially affects the
SOUND that comes from the instrument.
TIE clever violin maker, in otheI
words, has his varnish to fall back up
on to correct amy defects that may
have unexpectedly appeared and "a
emphasize any popularity of tore
which he believes viii prove accepta
BILE To the virtuoso. Should the tone o.
the tnvarnished instrument lie found a
little more strident than was expected
some composition of soft gums will.
perhaps. make ii shade mellower. j.
"A sparkling bvillianey could be still
further enforced for the benefit of q
concert performer who likes highly
col1rei effects. once more there is al !
ways handy the iudiciously prepared
varnish from the harder gums TO be
applied, as the maker deems advisable
for the instrument in hand. Nothing is
more irritating to the expert violin
maker than to ask him what is the cor
rect varnish for victims There is no one
correct varnish. The craftsmans work
ing days are largelysspent in just that
efr,rt to find right varnish for each
violin before ii leaves his shop.
One other question, nevertheless. en-
CAGES the maker almost as much. That
is the familiar query as 10 why vic
lin is SO greatly improved by being
broken and repaired. A notion has be-
come widespread that the way ito get
perfect violin is for the owner in a
|momont of abstraction to drop 1t be-
fore a trolley car and then take the
shattered pieces to the violin sepair
shop, out of which the INSTRUMENT is
supposed to emerge better than before
1t sometimes does happen, says the
expert repairer. that a violin thus re-
made out of broken pieces will be a
better violin than before. That how
ever. is not because there is any virtue
in smashing musical instruments; if
any Improvement results that is SIM
ply because the repairer while at work
discovers and lcorects defects in the
original design The violin Of sound.
wiiole timber is, other things being
equal to the best to- oscn--the kind of
vioIin for which the New England Com
servatory students will shortly COM
petes-6 hristian Science Monitor.
Don't be surprised it yous have an at
tack OF rheumatism this spring. !. Just