The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-01
SECRETS OF OLD yIOLINs.
A London Expert and Collector Tells
Some of Them


+ The old, old mystery of the difference
between the tone of rare old violin and
one of modern make lies in the compost
ton of the varnish, according to III.
Dykes a famous violin collector of Lon
don. lie says that the Italian victims
excel and that the Italians seem to have
the great secret rof the. marvellous instru-
lments. p 81 5{-r
The secrets of the varnish used by
Amati, Stradivarius and other famous
makers died with them, and that is why,
although there are many wonderful vio-
Inns of modern makes, none can approach
in beauty of tone those of the old mas
ters," said Mr.. Dykes. 'The operation of
the yarnish was not merely as an exter-
nal protection of the wood from deteriera-
ton. but much depended upon the exact
! time the yarnish was applied; and this |
was another well-guarded secret, for the
varnish. after having been prepared care
fully by secret formulas, was placed upon
! the wood at just the proper stage of sea
soning, so that it soaked into its pores
only enough to preserve its elasticity.
/ That this was an operation which called
for the greatest skill and delicacy is evil
denced by the fact that violins thus
| treated have survived through three cen
i turtles.
Il "There is no doubt that the Italian yio-
J Inns are much superior in quality of tone
to those of other countries There is a
| seductive quality about their tone which
it is very difficult to understand, as often
they are crude in their outlines and work
manship, but nevertheless it exists. An
dreas Amati of Cremona, Italy, was the
earliest of the famous violin Makers but
it was his two sons, Antonio and GerOn-
imo, who developed the violin into the
modern instrument. Their improvements
were really more as to artistic appearance
than in the tone of the violin, and there
are really none finer in that quality than
those made by the elder Amati.
/ "Stradivarius was a pupil of Amati, and
since his time the majority of violins have
been copies of his models. The Amati
yiolins date back to the sixteenth century,
! while Stradiyarius did most of his work
during the early seventeenth century. He
} began to make violins when a boy and
worked at them constantly up to the last
month of his life. He was 93 years of
: age when he died. Many of his yiolins
have been destroyed but there are still
| 200 in existence which are accredited to
him.
Although experts have been working
J ever since, they have never been able to
I discover the formula for his varnish, nor
= its manner of application. 1t is suspected
that his violins We're first rubbed up with
l some refined oil. possibly oil of cloves, and
then finished with a brilliant spirit var
niSh, but this is little more than a sur
mise, for he never divulged his real
formulas. This much may be said for
the modern violins: They are unSeasOned
: by time. To them has not yet been APP
piled the test of age. and it is possible that
! two or three hundred years from now
their reputation may equal that of the
l Amati and others.
Speaking of violins, you must not for
get the matter of bow-making. There is
in London a man who has become famous
: for his bows. He began when he was IL
. Years of age TO help his father make bows,
and he now has to his credit over 200
, which are among the very best procurable
and have a worldwide reputation. Every
/, year he makes gold-trimmed bow with
: his age inscribed upon it with his name,
James Tubbs. 1t has been my honor each
year to purchase the birthday bow, and
have large number"