Scan 51
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
6 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1The nut, or rest, is that small piece of ebony over which the strings pass on to the finger-board.
3The principal parts of the instrument have now been described, and there remain only the pegs, blocks, purfling, strings, and tail-piece, the sum of which makes up the number of fifty-eight constituent parts, as before mentioned. There is still, however, one item of the construction to be mentioned which does not form a separate portion of the Violin, but which is certainly worthy of notice, viz., the button, which is that small piece of wood against which the heel of the neck rests. The difficulty of making this apparently insignificant piece can only be understood by those who have gone through the various stages of Violin manufacture. The amount of finish given to the button affects in a great measure the whole instrument, and if there is any defect of style it is sure to be apparent here. It is a prominent feature, and the eye naturally rests upon it: as the key-stone to the arch, so is the button to the Violin.
5From the foregoing remarks upon the various portions of the Violin it may be assumed that the reader has gained sufficient insight into the process of its manufacture to enable him to dispense with a more minute description of each stage. It is unnecessary to pursue the detail any further, unless the reader has resolved to make a Violin with his own hands, in which case he may judiciously peruse Maugin's "Manuel du Luthier," which will be found to contain much useful information.
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