Books › An encyclopedia of the violin, 1925 › scan 87
Scan 87
An encyclopedia of the violin, 1925
22 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 63. See the scan on archive.org.
1their arch being raised no more than a half to three-quarters of an inch (fourteen millimeters). Those among them which have not been spoiled, possess a tone which is deep and brilliant. They are much sought after by virtuosos, who expend considerable sums of money in order to become the possessors of these famous instruments.
3Their reputation is probably due to the construction of the belly, which, being flat, produces an easier and more vigorous vibration than an arched instrument. Unfortunately, many of these violins have been ruined, usually through the efforts of ignorant repairers to improve them.
5These violins being all of them strong and well made, were provided, when coming from their maker's hands, with very weak and greatly curved bass-bars; hence all of them gave way at the belly on the bass-bar side, owing to the strain of the strings, and when violin makers who did not understand the nature of the defect were instructed to remedy it, they generally ruined the instrument.
7In addition to this, the average amateur delights in having his instrument tampered with, and to have a large strong bass-bar placed in it—the very thing most calculated to kill the vibrations.
9The Stradivarius model is a very beautiful one; the purflings of these violins are larger than those of the other Cremonese instruments, and they are farther removed from the sides. Their F-holes are perfectly cut and the wood is very handsome.
11The varnish used is an oil varnish, and is dark brown in color; some of the Stradivarius violins, however, have a brownish yellow hue. Others again, arched nearly like those of Nicolas Amati, are mahogany colored.
13The violins made by Joseph Guarnerius show a great resemblance to those of Nicolas Amati, and have a golden yellow varnish. The Rutheri and the Alvany violins are very similar to the Guarnerius instruments.
15The violins of Jacob Stainer, of Absam in the Tyrol, in no wise yield in beauty or in excellence to the Cremonese instruments. They are far more arched than are the latter, and their interior construction is altogether different.
17The distinction which may be made between the sound of the Stainer violins and that of the Cremonese instruments is that the former have more of the flute quality in their tone, and the latter more of the quality of the clarinet.
19The backs of Stainer violins are more curved than are the bellies. The summit of this arch is exactly as wide in dimension as the bridge, and extends from the bridge to the middle of the back in the direction of both the upper and the lower sides, and then little by little descends to the spot where the purfling is located.
21The sides are very well rounded, and the purfling lies nearer to them than in the case of the Cremonas, and is less thick. The F-holes are exceedingly
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