Books › Old violins and violin lore, 1900 › scan 161
Scan 161
Old violins and violin lore, 1900
16 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1OLD VIOLINS
3and brilliant, but not comparable, in my opinion, to a fine Roman gut "E" string.
5The English make a good, serviceable, dull green looking string, durable, uneven, and not unfrequently false. To my mind English strings are only fit for rank-and-file orchestral fiddling, but not good enough for the leader. Mr. Heron Allen, who has given great attention to such details, says that the best strings in the market are imported from Signor Andrew Ruffini of Naples, but I have always had a weakness for Roman strings.
7Too great caution, however, cannot be used in buying strings. Never buy from any but the best firms; they can't afford to keep "job lots, going vera chep"—these may be bought up by provincial houses and retailed to an undiscerning public.
9Notice that small "job lot" people do not know how to keep their strings—or, I should rather say, they keep them too long and too dry.
11It does not follow that even the best strings will turn out successes if they have been kept too long or too dry.
13I once ordered £1 worth of Roman "E" strings for myself, and another £1 worth for a friend. They all arrived as dry and brittle as mummy wood; they all snapped as I put them on. In about a week I got a furious letter from my unfortunate friend who had trusted me—all his strings had snapped.
15I have but one counsel to give. Take the best firm's advice and pay the best firm's price—if you can afford it. Always keep a couple of tested, i.e.
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