Books › The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871 › scan 154
Scan 154
The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871
6 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1aromatic smell, which stimulates the brain, and the branches are slender and full of many prickles. The bark is exceedingly thick, whilst none of this species of wood contains pith, except the Japan variety. The wood is hard, and, when newly cut, of a yellow colour, which becomes red on exposure to the air. It may be distinguished from logwood by its paler colour, and for surety the inexperienced amateur may apply the following test:—Boil a small quantity of the chips in water, filter, and when cold add a few drops of a solution of acetate of lead, protochloride of tin, or lime-water, when if the precipitate is crimson, it is Brazilwood—and if violet, then it is logwood.
3Brazilwood is extensively used in dyeing, and is generally exported in bundles, from which the finest pieces are selected by the bowmaker, but those, like angels' visits, are few and far between, as the wood naturally possessing such blemishes and inequalities, few faultless pieces are to be found, hence this alone tends to augment the prices of such bows. Tourte obtained for unmounted bows a sum equivalent to about 30s., and for silver-mounted ones, from 50s. to 60s., whilst those mounted with gold were sold at prices varying from 10 to 11 guineas; but we must not forget his scrupulous care in selecting the wood, and his beauty of finish, combined with such excellence of quality, circumstances which thus obliged him to charge those high prices.
5The finest bows have the curvatures finished by heat, every part of the bend being subjected to its action, as, agreeably to this method, the inner as well
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