Books › The Violinist's Guide (1916), 1916 › scan 11
Scan 11
The Violinist's Guide (1916), 1916
16 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1pairer will shun every trick of the trade which produces a merely temporary improvement in the tone at the cost of its ultimate deterioration. A first class instrument will speak readily and should be absolutely uniform on every string.
3Violin makers and dealers are in the main honorable business men. It is not true that the proportion of trickery in the violin trade is larger than in other lines. But in most cases, if sole reliance be placed on the recommendation of a musician or teacher, the buyer will get that instrument whose owner will pay the largest commission, which will assuredly be added to the price.
5One of the curses of instrument buying is the commission fiend, who should not be confounded nevertheless with the reputable maker or dealer, or with the conscientious teacher or artist who gives an honest opinion.
7As the only real test of an instrument is given by time, the buyer must rely on the standing of the maker or dealer. If the buyer chooses to patronize a man who dreads the light of publicity, he has only himself to blame if he "falls among thieves."
9Remember that it always pays to buy the best you can afford. First, as a business investment. A high grade violin by a maker of reputation should always command at least its purchase price. Second, as a matter of personal satisfaction. A good instrument is a constant source of pleasure.
11If you can pay but a moderate price for an instrument, do not accept trash as there are plenty of honestly built violins that can be sold at a moderate figure. No actual figures as to prices can be given even in a general way. If a person wishes to sell you a violin and cuts his price in half before the bargain is completed, do not buy from him as he would have robbed you if he could. Do not expect to buy a great instrument at a ridiculously low price. You have a greater chance of being elected president of the United States.
13The better the player the more certain he is to desire a really good instrument. The beginner can make no more serious mistake than to imagine that any violin is good enough to practice on. If the ear of the student be naturally musical, the poor violin will be an endless source of disturbance and torture; if, on the other hand, the musical taste and ear of the beginner be, as yet, unformed, what could be more harmful or obstructive to progress than an instrument with a poor tone and proportions that make for faulty intonation.
15The importance of violin and cello appurtenances is never appreciated to its full extent. The finest violin is crippled by poor strings. The greatest artist is handicapped by an inferior bow, either too light or too heavy, too weak or too stiff or badly balanced. A good resin is of course a sine qua non. A well fitting, comfortable chin rest, good pegs and all other violin fittings are as important to the player as a first class instrument. The best guarantee for their excellence is again the reputation and reliability of manufacturer and dealer.
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