Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

Books › British Violin Makers: A Biographical Dictionary of British Makers of Stringed Instruments and Bows and a Critical Description of Their Work, 1920 › scan 288

Scan 288

British Violin Makers: A Biographical Dictionary of British Makers of Stringed Instruments and Bows and a Critical Description of Their Work, 1920

20 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 234. See the scan on archive.org.

1BRITISH VIOLIN MAKERS
3SPICER, JOHN, London: c. 1667. It is not at all certain that he was a violin maker.
5SPICER, WILLIAM, London: c. 1860-70.
7STANLEY, ROBERT A., Manchester: contemporary. I am not certain whether he works in Manchester at present, but he was there a few years ago. He is a pupil of James Barrow, of Salford, and of James Cole, of Manchester. He has made over two hundred instruments, including violins, violas, 'cellos, and double basses. I have not seen his work of the last ten years, and have no information as to what it is like.
9STEPHENS, G. B., Bristol: c. 1780. Very fair work.
11STIRRAT, DAVID, Edinburgh: c. 1810-20. This is a magnificent old maker. His work is quite equal to that of Matthew Hardie, and had he lived a few years longer and produced anything like the number of instruments Hardie did, I have little hesitation in saying that the title of "Scottish Stradivari" would have been his and not Hardie's. Mr. Honeyman says that Stirrat followed the model of Stradivari: this may be generally true, but in three instruments which I have seen, the model only approximated to that of the grand Strad. The finest Stirrat fiddle in existence, I think, is owned by Dr. George Raimondi Young, late of 784 Park Avenue, New York, and now of Vevey, Switzerland. The outline of this instrument is pure, and the curves well balanced and very graceful. The principal measurements are:—
13Length of body . . . . 14 inches.
14Width across upper bouts . . . 6 1/2 "
15" " middle " . . . 4 7/8 "
16" " lower " . . . 8 1/16 "
17Length of sound-holes . . . 3 "
18" " C's . . . 3 3/8 "
19Depth of ribs 1 1/4 inch diminishing to . 1 3/16 "

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