Books › The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871 › scan 153
Scan 153
The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871
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1playing, have the hair 25 1/2 inches long, and their centre of gravity is about 7 1/2 in. from the nut, and in the bows of the violoncello the length of hair should be 23 3/4 in., whilst they should balance at 6 1/2 in. from the nut, the stick being proportionally larger, having a length varying from 24 to 25 inches. In the violin bow, the finest white hair is employed, after being carefully assorted and cleansed. The best bows ought to have a uniform curvature, and this regulated in such a manner that the exact centre of the bow, between the head and nut, ought to be the portion of the bend which approaches nearest to the hair. The number of hairs contained in the violin bow varies according to their size, but the mean number is about 150. The woods principally used in the manufacture of bows are Brazil or Pernambuco wood, snakewood, logwood, ironwood, horsewood, mahogany, beech, &c., whilst the nut is formed of ebony or ivory. Amongst the preceding woods none is found to give the required results equal to Brazilwood, from which all our finest bows are now formed. There are several varieties of this wood named after the places of their growth, viz., Pernambuco, Sapan, Santa Martha, Lamon, Japan, &c. By some it is affirmed that this wood gave the name to the country in which it principally grows—Brazil; and the Portuguese made it a source of vast and royal revenue, hence it was at one time termed Queenwood. It commonly grows in dry, barren, and rocky places, and its trunk is of large dimensions, crooked, knotty, and full of cracks. The flowers of this tree are of a beautiful red colour, and possess an agreeable
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