Scan 357
The American history and encyclopedia of music .., 1908
8 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 239. See the scan on archive.org.
1into the corners formed by the center bouts or curves, and into the top and bottom curves. They aid a little in transmitting the vibrations and add firmness to the structure. The side linings are thin strips of wood which line the ribs between the blocks, making the instrument more substantial.
3The purfling consists of three parallel strips of plane tree wood glued together. Finished, it is about one sixteenth of an inch in diameter and is placed about three-sixteenths of an inch from the outer edge of the belly to prevent the wood from splitting. Stradivarius made of its neat application a work of art. It is a remnant of the former superabundance of decoration, and is applied sparingly, although in some of the best instruments it appears in designs upon their backs. Leopold Mozart well says in his "Violin School" that "to choose a fiddle for its outward symmetry and varnish is like choosing a song bird for its fine feathers."
5The bridge is the tongue of the violin, and is as vital a part as the tongue of a woman is reputed to be. The modern maker finds it impossible to change the bridge in the least degree from the precedent of Stradivarius, without ruining the tone. It is of birdseye maple of horizontal grain and neither too hard nor too soft. At the top where there are four shallow notches for the strings it is just one-half as thick as at the base. Unless the feet are exactly arched to fit the arch of the belly the tone will be hollow and dull. The arched top brings each string to a different level so that the bow will not be in danger of rubbing more than one at a time. The height is regulated by that of the finger-board and is such that the strings may be on a correct slant. If the slant is too decided, the tone is dull and sluggish; if too gradual a harsh and piercing tone results. The bridge stands between the two necks of the ff holes with its right foot over the bass bar, and its left near the sound-post.
7The soul of the violin is a simple thing apparently. Its practical name is sound-post and it is a carefully carved round stick one-fourth of an inch in diameter extending from the back to the belly. But if it is too short, too tall,
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