CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HOWELL, of Clare Street, Bristol, Music Seller, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of December, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Howell, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Howell, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Howell, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Thomas Howell, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW VE, that in compliance with the said
the said previse, I, the
said Thomas Howell, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
said Thomas Howell, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):
-
My Invention relates,-
First, to improvements in the construction of the violin, tenor, violoncello,
and double bass.
Secondly, in improvements in the construction of the Spanish guitar.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan of a violin constructed according to my improve-
ments. Figure 2 is a side or edge view of Figure 1. In each of these
Figures the same letters indicate similar parts. It will be desirable, in order
clearly to point out the object of my Invention, to state that, according to the
usual construction of the violin, tenor, violoncello, and double bass, the necks
are of such a length that by stopping the string on the finger board at the
point directly above the part of the neck which is glued to the body of the
instrument a major sixth to the open string is produced, the consequence of
which construction is, that the player has considerable difficulty in reaching in
order to stop the strings nearer to the bridge, and hence arises that inelle-
gance of action which is so much complained of, even in the most expert
performers. Now the object of my Invention is to reduce the length of the
upper part of the body of the instrument, measuring from the bridge towards
the neck, and proportionably increasing the length of the neck, for facilitating
the fingering or stopping of the strings of the instruments above mentioned,
and also making the lower part of the body of the instrument longer than
heretofore, with certain other modifications of the body of the instrument as
will improve the sound, notwithstanding the shortening the length of the
body in order to encrease the length of the neck, which, according to the
Drawing, is shown to be of such a length that the performer, stopping
the string on the finger board opposite or at the point above where the
neck is glued to the instrument, would produce a major tenth to the
open string. The manner of making the above-mentioned instruments
being well understood, it will not be necessary to enter into a particular
description of the manner of putting the various parts together; I will,
therefore, point out the further change in the construction of the instrument
shown in the Drawing. a, b, is the hoop which combines the belly and back

page_text: In
of the instrument together; but it will be seen that in place of the hoop a, b,
being of the same height from end to end, as is the most usual construction
of the hoops of such instruments, it inclines from the end a to the end b, as
is clearly shown in the Drawing, by which the hoop assumes the form of an
inclined plane. From this particular formation great practical advantages
result. The sound post can be raised to its place with facility, the instrument
being thus allowed to be constructed to any required flatness, which I consider
a great desideratum, as flatness of the back and belly when applied with
judgment, in my opinion, is condusive to a continued equable sound.
Figure 1 it will be seen that the end a of the violin, in place of being
curved outwards (where the chin of the performer rests, which is the usual
form) is curved inwards, by which the instrument may be held with greater
ease and the performer enabled to play with greater freedom, as he will by
this construction be able to hold the instrument firmly under the chin, the
concave at the end a of the instrument fitting the neck of the performer. It
will be seen that in place of having the tail-piece attached to the tail pin, as
is usually the case in the violin, tenor, violoncello, and double bass, I cause
the tail-piece to be glued or affixed to the belly of the instrument, as is clearly
shown in the Drawing; by this means the tail-piece is out of the way of the
chin (when used to the violin or tenor, and by this arrangement it will be
found that the instrument, whether violin, tenor, violoncello, or double bass,
will be kept better in tune. I have not thought it necessary to show a
Drawing of a tenor, violoncello, or double bass with my improvements applied
thereto, but from the Drawing of the violin, and the description thereof given,
a workman will readily apply the improvements thereto, observing, however,
that in constructing the violoncello and double bass it is not necessary to form
the end a concave or curved inwardly, but that end may be of the ordinary
construction.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention applicable to the violin,
tenor, violoncello, and double bass, I would remark that what I claim as my
improvements consist in the shortening of the length of the upper part of
the body of the instrument, and proportionably increasing the length of the
neck, whereby the action of fingering is greatly facilitated. And I also claim
the construction of the hoops a, b, as above described. And I claim making
the lower part of the body of the instrument longer than heretofore, measuring
from the bridge. And I do also claim the curving the end a inwards, as
above described. And I claim the fixing the tail-piece to the belly, as above
described.
I will now proceed to explain my improvements in the Spanish guitar.

page_text: Figure 3 shows a plan of a guitar having my improvements applied to that
instrument, which consists of the elongation of the neck similar to the instru-
ments already described, and as will be readily seen by an examination of the
Drawing. The object of such lengthening of the neck, from that part thereof
which is glued or affixed to the body of the instrument, is to obtain greater
facility to the player and greater command over the strings.
The second improvement in this instrument consists in the constructing the
end a of a concave form, as is shown in the Drawing, and similarly to the
construction of the violin and tenor, which shape or form to the end of the
Spanish guitar will be found to offer convenience of holding not found in
guitars having the end convex, as is usually the case.
The third improvement in the Spanish guitar consists in the improved
method of lining. Figure 4 shows part of the section of a guitar. c is
the part of the belly; d part of the back; and e part of the hoop by
which the belly and back are combined. f is the improved lining on
which the belly and back are glued, the lining proceeding as usual
round the body of the instrument. This lining is constructed by means
of a series of layers of veneer glued together in a frame of the figure or
shape of the Spanish guitar. These linings, thus formed and applied, adds
considerable strength, and renders the instrument more durable; and by this
arrangement I am enabled to use three bars only to secure the belly of the
instrument, by which there will be obtained more vibration than on the old
plan. I place a bar to rest on the blocks at each end of the instrument, and
the third bar near the sound hole.
The fourth improvement in the Spanish guitar consists in applying a tail-
piece similar to those used in violins, that is, having holes and slips formed
therein in place of pegs, as heretofore practised. This improvement is clearly
shown in the Drawing. But I would remark, that I do not claim the affixing
such tail-piece to the belly of Spanish guitars by glueing the same thereto, as
the ordinary tail-piece or bridge of the Spanish guitar has heretofore been so,
affixed.
The fifth improvement consists in giving to the head of the Spanish guitar
the lyre form, as shown in the Drawing, in place of the common head
heretofore used, by which greater elegance of construction will be obtained.
I would, in conclusion, remark, that although I have described the necks of
the above-mentioned instruments (the violin, tenor, and violoncello, double
bass, and Spanish guitar) as being constructed of a particular length, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself thereto, as it will be evident
that any increase of the length of the necks of such instruments beyond what

page_text: has been heretofore practised, and decreasing the length of the upper part of
the bodies of those instruments, will proportionably facilitate the act of
fingering. I do therefore claim, in respect to that part of my Invention, the
making the necks of the instruments herein specified, that is to say, the part
beyond that which is joined or glued to the bodies thereof, of a greater length,
than when by stopping the string opposite or at the point above where the
neck is glued it would produce a higher sound than heretofore, comparing it
to the open string.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Howell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.