Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

Books › The fiddle fancier's guide; a manual of information regarding violins, violas, basses and bows of classical and modern times, together with biographical notices and portraits of the most famous performers on these instruments, 1892 › scan 69

Scan 69

The fiddle fancier's guide; a manual of information regarding violins, violas, basses and bows of classical and modern times, together with biographical notices and portraits of the most famous performers on these instruments, 1892

8 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.

1was constrained to turn out the modern antique, and the man's genius is visible in the circumstance that he could do the latter thing, and at the same time turn out a splendid violin. In tone, style, and everything, a good specimen of Jacob Fendt is magnificent.
3FENDT, FRANCIS, London. This was another son of Bernhard, of whom little is known.
5FENDT, WILLIAM, London. This maker was a son of Bernard Simon, and was employed with his father. He did not make many violins, but was at work with his father in the making of double basses.
7FORD, JACOB, London, 1790. A very clever maker, who imitated in a remarkable manner the great favourite of most 18th century workers, Jacob Stainer. His scrolls are a little stiff-looking, and in other respects, the model is not really Stainer, but borders very closely on it. For example, Stainer's margins, which few English, or even Continental makers, have copied well, are very faithfully reproduced by Ford. Stainer's margins, though not so large as the Italians, are much less niggardly than the great majority of his imitators would have us believe, and although there is no great credit, perhaps, in the mere reproduction of the design of a fiddle, when we find a man doing this in a faithful manner we have reason to cherish the hope that he may have his head screwed on properly with regard to other things. The sound holes are not Stainer, nor is the arching, and one may well ask, "What is there about the work that is Stainer?" Just the general look and tone feeling, the finish of the work, which is great, and the choice of wood. Varnish a deepish tinted yellow.

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