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 134
Scan 134
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
4 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 120. See the scan on archive.org.
1an unvarying standard. Viewed sideways a Stradivari scroll looks very perfect, curling in towards the boss in ever lessening depth until the cutting ends just as it reaches the top. The undercut where the pegbox joins the volute is as highly finished as any other portion, and comes slightly out to meet the under turn in a most graceful manner. The wood is usually very well marked and the whole appearance of very refined, and strong character. Of course in those cases where the splicing of a scroll has been carelessly done, and the pegbox sides, or cheeks, thinned away on the inside to conceal a poor job, the front view of that portion will not harmonise with what is said of their thicknesses, and where the joint has been made too high up, it will often destroy in a distressing manner the beautiful appearance one expects to fine even there.
3Stradivari, Francesco, Cremona. Born the 1st February, 1671. Died 11th May, 1743. This maker was a son of Antonio, and the elder of the only two members of his large family who followed their father's calling. As a maker Francesco did not attain to the level of his father, which is not saying very much in his dispraise, seeing that none of the other great Cremonese makers permanently attained to that level. What I have seen of Francisco's work was heavier in style, but it had exactly the same quality of varnish as is found on his father's instruments. There, however, the resemblance may be said to cease, although that circumstance will not, as the fancier knows, lessen the interest in Francesco's work, for he has qualities which are personal to himself. His margins for instance are relieved in the
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