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 312
Scan 312
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
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1habitually wore a leathern apron and a skull-cap (Had he heard of old Antonio?), and was much addicted to tobacco-chewing. He is said to have made about eighty fiddles and a few Welsh harps during leisure moments, when joinery work happened to be slack.
3Several of these fiddles are said to be in existence to-day, but I know of only three, one of which is in my possession. The following is a brief description of this last.
5The outline and model approximate to those of N. Amati. Probably the maker had a Duke fiddle as model, since the measurements are identical with those of a genuine Duke of the date 1768. The back is cut sur couche, and the wood is sycamore of rather plain figure. The pine of the belly is very fine and even-grained. The sound-holes are somewhat after the Stainer pattern. The scroll is much worn at the left boss of the volute, but it is thrown with a firm hand and full of decision and meaning. The varnish is a pale, straw-coloured one, elastic and transparent. The tone is not large, but it is sweet, round, and free.
7The instrument is the work of a man who knew how to handle his gouge and calipers.
9Williams obtained his pine from abroad, but he cut his sycamore in the Margam woods. He rubbed linseed oil and turpentine into his fiddles, and then hung them up for a long season to dry before varnishing them. The varnish is a spirit one, laid on in three or four thin coats. Williams was known locally as "Benny'r fiddler," as he was a player as well as a maker of fiddles. It is said that he played beautifully on one of his own make instruments, and that his services were frequently requisitioned at local weddings, dances, &c. He also, as needs would have it, wielded the magic wand, and a story is told of his laying a ghost at Penhydd by playing a certain tune on his fiddle at the haunted spot on three successive nights.
11The fiddle on which he then played was made specially for the occasion, and had its back of mountain-ash, and a drop of dragon's blood was mixed with the varnish. Tradition does not say whence he obtained this drop of blood. It was not the
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.