Books › Fiddle frauds and how to detect them, 1894 › scan 22
Scan 22
Fiddle frauds and how to detect them, 1894
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1black and spirits. It is then rubbed with a piece of wood or a cloth, and the treatment will be so skilfully applied as to utterly defy detection.
3The rub of the bow, as is well known, slightly disfigures the varnish and wood of the belly in the region of the middle of the bridge, extending up to right hand f hole. In order to produce this effect sand-paper is used.
5To imitate the well-known indentations in the finger-board, arising through the continual pressure of the strings, the bottom part of it, and also the region between the finger-board and bridge, will be powdered and rubbed with rosin-dust.
7A few words must be said concerning the wood used in the construction of bogus violins. This is, of course, artificially prepared for two purposes:—The first is to give it an old appearance, and the other to rid it of its inherent hollow sound. To accomplish this, it is only necessary to expose the raw material to a very high temperature, when it will assume a brownish colour. It is then treated with a liquid composed of wood-vinegar, pyric acid, silicate of soda, or antipyrogene. All these devices, however, prove abortive, as in a very short time the artificially-produced clear tone changes to one of a veiled and coarse character.
9It would be far too formidable a task to refer to all the chemical processes adopted in the doctoring of imitation violins; but I think I have said sufficient to initiate the innocent buyer into some of the mysteries of fiddle faking—enough, I hope, to enable him to protect himself against being easily taken in. If he has but the slightest knowledge of a genuine violin he should at once recognise a spurious one.
11It would be a satisfaction to know that I had even in a small degree put the public on their guard by exposing the impudent frauds which are daily com-
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