Books › British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904 › scan 125
Scan 125
British violin-makers classical and modern; being a biographical and critical dictionary of British makers of the violin from the foundation of the classical school to the end of the nineteenth century, 1904
17 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Width across lower bouts . . . . 8 1/4 inches
2Length of C's . . . . . . . . . . 3 1/8 "
3Length of sound-holes . . . . . . 3 3/2 "
4Distance between sound-holes at top . . . 1 13/18 "
5Depth of ribs at bottom . . . . . . 1 1/4 "
6" " top . . . . . . . . . . 1 3/16 "
8Mr. Cooper uses excellent wood, which is well-seasoned. He cuts his back on the various methods, according to the nature of the wood. He has a decided preference for close-grained pine. In some instances the "reed" is of uniform distribution, and about one thirty-second in width.
10The workmanship is excellent. The scroll is thrown with a firm, florid hand. In matter of detail, it is strictly conventional, except that the first turn starts from a point opposite the apex of the volute and leaves the boss very suddenly. In effect, the scroll is novel and picturesque.
12The button is feminine—perhaps a trifle too much so, because everything else about the Cooper fiddle is of a masculine conception. It forms exactly three-fourths of a circle, and is rather under medium size. The sound-holes are original in outline and position. Near the upper turns they are perceptibly drawn towards the inner bouts. This gives the portion of the table between them a sense of solidity and boldness. They are set nearer the edge than was customary with Strad. Their position is a sort of a compromise between the Strad and the Bergonzi sound-holes.
14The purfling is evidence of Mr. Cooper's thorough mastery of the tools of the craft. And here, in the fine finish of matters of detail, one is reminded that the maker is a trained jeweller and watchmaker, as well as a violin-maker.
16The margin is one-eighth wide, and the edges nicely rounded. The latter are not so substantial as is usually the case in modern British work. A strong, rounded edge is the sign-manual of the modern British school, and when one occasionally comes across another method, the result is all the more noticeable. The varnish is Whitelaw's light, and dark
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