Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-07
VALUE OF VIOLINS TOLD OF
BY MR.. HASkIN
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskin

the security of their Strad. Many
liberal offers for the violin were le-
jected, but, as it turned out, they
waited too long. Fol one evening
a friend brought a well known con-
cert violinist to the house, who told
them tina their wonderful Strad was
only a cheap German copy not sven
worth the cost OF repairing.
Injuries Do Not Improve ViOlins
There is also a widespread super
stition to the effect that a violin is
often improved by being injured and
having its injury repaired" explain
ed tho violin expert. Nothing could
DO more absurd, of course. but 1t is
easy to see how the idea must have
originated. People who have had
their violins cracked take them to
an expert to be repaired. In need
ing the crack. he often discovers
several other defects as we'll and al
SO corrects them. AS a result the
instrument often does sound bet
ter than it did before. Blu it IS not
tho damage which improves the
violin; it is the repairing-the sub
stitution OF new parts for old, or
the altering of the size and thick
ness OF certain parts.
Not only is a violin not improved
by injuries, but the value of d Gre
mona violin is greatly enhanced ii
it is in good condition. The condi-
ton of the varnish IS especially I'M
portant. 1 recall at least one in
stance where an ignorant violin re-
pairer ruined a genuine Guarnerius
violin by ~scraping off all the origi-
nal varnish and applying a thick
coat OF the modern variety"
1t is remarkable how well pre-
served are some of the old violins
in the possession of collectors. One
made by Gaspard da Salo and ger
geoUsly ornamented. SO 1t is said,
by the great Venvenuto Cellini HIM
5 hell, is today in almost perfect con
dition as when it left the makers
hands. 1t was once owned by the
distinguished Swedish artist, Ole
: Bull. who had a large collection OF
%violins, and at his death in this
: country it passed into the posses
Q sion OF a wealthy amateur. AS Gas
g pard da Salo is credited by most au-
S thorities with being the inventor o.
t tho first violin some time about
: 1850. this is probably the most aGee
instrument in existence. Needless t
say it Is worth a fortune, although
S its chief value is as a curiosity ant
not for the quality of its tone.
The majority of the Stradivarlu
violins in existence, however. hdv,
u practical as well as an aestheti
value. standing the strain of con
stant use by come of the world'
most celebrated violinists. TIL
cheapest unchanged Strad is value,
at $4,000, while even the cheapes
damaged instrument turned out b
- the greatest violin maker who eve
lived is worth $1,000. A genu:n
Strad in excellent condition recent
ly imported from Europe to thi
= country was valued at $4,000.
ie The average commercial violin {
modern make, on the other hant
III sells for $50. The reason for tn
@ difference in price is not the mel
l. matter of age but of workmanship
& In spite of occasional alleged proc
to the contrary, it Is impossible fl
modern makers to equal the supeI
craftsmanship of the Cremona scho
re of the sixteenth and seventeent
I'd centuries, whose instruments al
H. eagerly sought by connoisseurs c
account of their richness of ton
k which experts attribute largely
the flexibility of the wood used
L their construction.
is That is, some of the experts d
Others contend that the supremaS
Iy of the old Italian viol!ns rests chic
ly on the varnish. the secret form
ula for which remains one If II
great medieval mysteries, like II
Sc unknown pigment which vas use
l. in the stained glass windows
~ early cathedrals.