Books › Fiddle frauds and how to detect them, 1894 › scan 23
Scan 23
Fiddle frauds and how to detect them, 1894
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1mitted; but I fear the ridiculous notion that any stringed instrument having the appearance of being old, repaired, and much handled, is a masterpiece, is too deeply-rooted ever to be eradicated from the minds of some people, and that in spite of all warnings they will continue to allow the fiddle swindlers to fatten on their credulity.
3In conclusion, I wish to say something with reference to the preservation of an instrument.
5The first requisite for this is a sound amber varnish, that prevents moisture from getting inside the instrument. Whether a varnish has a good or bad effect on the quality of tone, a clever and experienced maker will find out for himself. Very often a new violin suffers by a new varnish being applied to it. Experience has shown that an acoustically perfect violin acquires by the application of a proper oil and amber varnish a richer and mellower tone and greater resonance.
7Above all, beware of removing the bridge from its original place; observe well the gauge of the string; for the instrument and string it up to its normal pitch. If these things are neglected, very often the tone will greatly deteriorate. After use a violin should always be cleaned with a dry silken cloth, to prevent rosin dust or other grime accumulating and drying on the surface of the belly; for any such dirt will destroy the varnish and thereby render it easy for the damp to get in. The dirt which may accumulate inside can be removed in the most simple manner by putting a handful of hotted grains of wheat, barley, or oats into the instrument and shaking them up for some time. The dirt will adhere to the grains, which can easily be riddled out through the f holes.
9Stringing a violin requires practical experience, and amateurs must begin slowly to reach the true pitch, note by note, upwards. The introduction of the A
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