Books › The violin, how to make it, 1880 › scan 68
Scan 68
The violin, how to make it, 1880
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 62. See the scan on archive.org.
1and tail-piece, of ebony. Those are the woods which have been usually employed by the best makers, but in the common Violin we find beech used for the back, neck, and sides; whilst in others we find the back made of pear, or cherry-tree, the side-linings of sallow, blocks of lime-tree, etc.; but, from the true construction of the instrument, it is evident maple and pine ought alone to be used for the formation of the back and breast.
3Stradivarius made several Violoncellos and Tenors with the backs formed of poplar and pear-tree, but his best instruments have always had backs made from maple.
5A species of wood — the Azarol — common in the Tyrol, is believed to have been used by some of the Cremonese makers in preference to the Swiss pine, and that only the south side of the tree was used.
7The wood of which the instrument is formed is a matter of pre-eminent importance, as it must be thoroughly seasoned, and possess good resonant properties. If the wood of the back and breast is perfectly baked by exposing it for a length of time near a fire, the instrument made from it certainly acquires a crispness and intensity of tone. Many modern makers adopt this method, but along with intensity there is always a harshness in the sound of the instrument, as the form of the wood-cells is changed by the heat, and after a few months the tone of the instrument gradually deteriorates. The firmness and sonority of wood is somewhat improved by steam-drying, and we find many of the pieces for Violin backs and breasts sold by the musical-instrument dealers have gone through this process, whilst others again have undergone an acetous purification. The following method of wood-drying is adopted by several of the Continental firms who supply prepared wood for the fabrication of musical instruments. The wood is kept for some hours under boiling water, whereby all its soluble parts are withdrawn. It is next left to dry, and then boiled for some time in a solution of borax, which causes the albumen to become soluble, and to escape from the pores. After this proceeding, the wood is placed in stoves heated by steam, and in three days after the commencement of this series of operations, it has become quite dry, and to all appearance well seasoned.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.