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 of these instruments, 1892 › scan 125
Scan 125
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 of these instruments, 1892
2 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 111. See the scan on archive.org.
1not a very satisfactory way of dealing with the subject. There is not, however, the slightest doubt that on his finest work, the varnish is of exactly the same character as is found on Cremonese instruments. The violins which were formerly called "Elector" Stainer's, because it was supposed that he made one for each of the German Electors, are magnificent instruments. The story about them is a bit of romantic rubbish, woven into the old biographical accounts of him, and has been exploded for a few years now. But there is no mistake about the violins. They are really grand, about 14 1/8 inches from margin to margin lengthways. Width across the bottom about 8 inches, across the top, about 6 1/2. The margins are of good width, and gracefully thrown up a little from the purfling. The edges are circular. The corners are not so pronounced as those of Nicolas Amati, and the purfling is rather wider than usual with Stainer. It is not, however, so very neat as in many an inferior maker, but of an entirely satisfactory character for all that. There is a perceptible groove running round the margins of both back and front. The tops of the sound holes are circular, and so are the lower turns, but larger. The arching is greater on the front than on the back. It starts to fall longitudinally at the same points from upper and lower margins, but as the arch below the sound holes is perceptibly higher than it is above them, the fall at the former point seems more sudden than appears above, where it seems to occupy about a third more of the distance in falling. The tone is of a lovely quality; full, round, and resonant. He made magnificent double basses. He was married on 7th October,
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