VIOLIN MAKING. 

PRINTED BY J. H. LAVENDER AND CO. , 3, GREEN TERRACE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON, E. C. 

[Frontispiece: Walter H. Mayson]

_"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. IX. _

VIOLIN MAKING

BY

WALTER H. MAYSON. 

WITH THIRTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS. 

SECOND EDITION. 

London:"THE STRAD" OFFICE, 3, GREEN TERRACE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, E. C. J. LENG & CO. , 186, FLEET STREET, E. C. 

New York:CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, 153-157, FIFTH AVENUE. 

1909. 

CONTENTS. 

 PAGEINTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CHAPTER I. SELECTION OF WOOD . . . . . . . . . . 7

CHAPTER II. THE BACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

CHAPTER III. PURFLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CHAPTER IV. BENDING THE PURFLING . . . . . . . . . 33

CHAPTER V. MODELLING THE BACK . . . . . . . . . . 36

CHAPTER VI. WORKING OUT THE BACK . . . . . . . . . 41

CHAPTER VII. THE BELLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER VIII. THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY . . . . . . . 51

CHAPTER IX. THE SOUNDHOLES . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

CHAPTER X. THE BASS BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

CHAPTER XI. THE RIBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

CHAPTER XII. FIXING RIBS, ETC. . . . . . . . . . . 71

CHAPTER XIII. FIXING THE BELLY . . . . . . . . . . . 75

CHAPTER XIV. THE SCROLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

CHAPTER XV. FIXING NECK, FINGERBOARD, ETC. . . . . 82

CHAPTER XVI. OF VARNISH AND VARNISHING . . . . . . 88

CHAPTER XVII. FITTING UP FOR USE . . . . . . . . . . 95

CHAPTER XVIII. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

PREFACE. 

I do not like Prefaces. 

They remind me somewhat of awaiting dinner in a drawing-room after along walk in wintry weather. It is one thing to get there anoccasional whiff of viands cooking in the basement of the house, andquite another to feel the same accentuate your gnawings of hunger. 

Therefore, did I touch on motives for writing this book, or sketchoutlines of heads of matters to follow in detail, I should engagelittle or no attention, so shall simply refer you who may read thispreface, which is only a fraud, to the matter embodied in thefollowing pages, for which, at least, I claim Honesty. 

WALTER H. MAYSON. 

62, OXFORD STREET, C. -ON-M. , MANCHESTER. 

The great success of the previous edition, and the numerous letterssent in praise of "VIOLIN MAKING, " prompts me (the author's son) totake the opportunity of saying a few words, and to thank the publicfor their appreciation of the work. 

I have received many communications (several from abroad) fromenthusiasts, bestowing the warmest praise on the writer as a Makerand an Author; and all are unanimous in declaring that the simpleand explicit style of the work has enabled them to readily grasp thedifficulties pertaining to the Violin as a work of Art. Thesecorrespondents (who are quite strangers to me) have also greatlycommended the high class appearance of the volume, particularly theexcellence of the fine illustrations. Such expressions of approvalwould have been gratifying to the late W. H. MAYSON, who, as themaker of over 800 instruments, had attained complete mastery overhis work. Therefore the reader can have every confidence infaithfully following all his methods and strictly adhering to everydetail set forth in this volume. 

STANSFIELD MAYSON. 

48, OXFORD ROAD, MANCHESTER, _June, 1909_. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Many admirable works on this interesting subject have appeared inseveral languages, but, to my mind, in a form too sternly technical, cold, if I may be allowed--the writers barely in touch with theanxious youth or man, who, as amateur, yearns to get at thatknowledge of correct construction without which he scarce may hopeto become a professional violin maker, some notable instances to thecontrary, all the same. 

I hold simplicity to be the very essence of the conveyance of matterfrom mind to mind, as in words; from mind to eye, as by pencil, brush, or chisel; palpable or otherwise, the impression intendedshould be beyond doubt, and that this end may be secured, mystification by high flown figures of rhetoric, or false drawing, or sculpture out of line or proportion, must at the outset of allwork, art work above all, be sternly trodden under foot, and thesolid and truthful experience of ripe years offered with the sameeagerness to impart information as it is awaited by the student. 

If you spend ten minutes in _telling_ a man what form an ovalassumes, when you can, by drawing it for him on a blackboard, present it before his eye in one minute, and more to the purpose, you not only waste your own time but his also, and commit a breachof trust, in that you mislead and mystify when it was your duty tofaithfully guide and teach in all sincerity and simplicity. 

Therefore I propose, in the following pages, to adopt an entirelydifferent treatment from any work I have had the honour of studyingon the construction of the violin; writing as though orallyaddressing the students, or those anxious to become students, of thewhole world--a vast semicircle of bright faced, intelligentcreatures before me, following eagerly every movement of thenumerous tools I use in the extremely delicate manipulations of theinstrument as it almost imperceptibly assumes that form so noble andso beloved, and almost devouring the, I hope, lucid explanations, which, from time to time, I may think it necessary to make, andwhich will appear as letterpress, the illustrations speaking forthemselves as the work progresses. 

This little thing that I am about to make, this shell of scarcesixteen ounces in weight, constructed of about eighty pieces ofwood, and united by glue as one complete whole; this, that is amighty factor, where mirth, and mirth only, is to the fore, in itsembodiment; this, that draws from the soul the tear which has longyearned for an outlet of intense sympathy such as it now finds;this, that beautifies as it ennobles to the pinnacle of sublimityall music, even as it takes it by the hand, guides and cements it. 

What is the origin of this violin or fiddle, and to what countrydoes the honour belong?

To this day its origin, as a violin, is a contested point, and in myopinion will so remain; that is to say, how it worked its way, so tospeak, out of now obsolete instruments, into what it is (for it wascertainly a growth, not a complete conception), by whom it was soworked, and where--these points, aggravating points, if you will, seeing there is nothing of clearness around them, had better be leftby you where they are; for, when Germany and Italy are supposedstrong claimants, and assert a right not borne out by fact, according as I read the so-called evidence, it were futile to enterinto discussion destined to have no satisfactory result. 

But, though we cannot give this thing a "local habitation, " we _can_give it a name, aye, and a name destined to live as long as lipsmove to pronounce it. 

And we can make it noble, too, of exquisite shape and colour, possessing a voice capable of we know not what compass andexpression; just as we can turn it out by the thousand, degradingthe name of art to which it has the impudence to lay claim, on everyfeature of its brazen face stamped that nationality which, so farfrom seeking, it in vain tries to get rid of. 

If in the progress of these lectures I touch on cause and effect inrelation to acoustics, my remarks will be merely superficial, sufficient for my purpose, but not for him who wishes fully tomaster this absorbing doctrine, which he will find most usefulshould his purpose be to try experiments in relation to tone. 

As to giving diagrams of supposed eccentric or concentrated curvesrelative to the vibration of the back or belly of the violin, or tothe motions of the air waves, rapid or slow, that I do not intend todo; others have done that, with what benefit to their work or theirsupposed pupils we may probably ascertain later should more be addedon the subject. 

Therefore, gentlemen, if it be your strong, stern desire to sit outthese somewhat prolonged lectures, whilst I endeavour to make foryou, step by step, a true work of art, according to my conceptionand in strict accordance with my deeply thought-out principles, andwith such tools as I find most simple and most suitable for the workI have to do, then do so, and I shall feel highly honoured and veryproud; but, if a lighter, more trivial creation will, or wouldsatisfy your (craving I will not call it, that suggests pertinacity, a great end being in view), say, passing fancy, then I would rathersee vacant the place occupied by you, as in such an one I shouldtake no interest whilst speaking or working, just as that one wouldappear of too shallow a nature to absorb lasting benefit from whatwas said or done by me. 

In concluding this introduction to a subject which I hold to be ofmuch moment as the leading instrument, never to be replaced byanother, let me beg of you to abandon a half-hearted considerationof its adoption in actual work later on, unless you be prepared tosuffer for this fine art, a member of the body of which it is yourpresent thought to become; for, be assured, there _will_ besuffering, which will dog your progress; aye, and the greater yourtalent, so much more will be jealousy of it, from those, at least, so on the alert to decry that which they cannot create; so much morewill be contumely; so much more will be innuendoes which _can_ notbe met openly, as they certainly _will_ not be in the slimy wordsand manner of utterance of bitter heartlessness, that is to say, ifyou be made of that stuff which presents to the world an artist, whois nothing if he be not noble. 

Contumely, jealousy, suffering, but not necessarily failuretherefrom, despite an occasional reverse, hard to bear; nay, thefeeling that there is something good in you, and worthy ofacknowledgment and acceptance by the world later on, will spur youto greater exertion, and act as a mantle beneath which you mayshelter from the cold shower hurled by those so prone to drown orstarve that which, not feeling themselves, they are determined shallneither spring from nor be passed to the credit of others--enthusiasm. 

VIOLIN MAKING

CHAPTER I. SELECTION OF WOOD. 

Many persons of good, practical ability, and moderately versed inthe laws of acoustics, with an eye for form, and not deficient in acertain conception of art _as_ art; who have the instinct to checkany approach to vulgarity, and work on lines, curves andthicknesses, more or less true, elegant, and the best for producingfine tone, have seen, and will yet again see, their efforts of smallavail, cast aside, never to assume even mediocre rank in the sternarray of violins of modern make, much less of those of ancientItaly, merely because the wood chosen for the instrument made is ofan inferior, probably worthless character, which would have beenemployed to much more purpose had it been used in the constructionof a windmill, or the shaft of a mine. 

That is to say, if, as I presume and premise, the first germ in theconception of construction of the instrument be _tone_, as mostassuredly tone it ought to be, not to the detriment of appearance, or to its subjugation as an art work, but as an adjunct or accessoryof such importance that it is apparent it must imperatively assumepre-eminence; just as we forget the plain box of the Ĉolian harp themoment the strings are struck by the passing gale into the mostexquisite chords; as, on the contrary, do we seem to wish for nosong from the tropical bird of magnificent plumage, and express nosurprise that none comes from it. I may put this more plainly as Iproceed, and in more homely words. What I want to lay before younow, and must _insist_ upon, is, that you seek for tone, tone beforeall. Tone you must get at all cost; and to get it, you must have aschoice wood as ever can be procured, and fashion it into a singingshell, so that from it pure music may be evolved. 

Then you must get this choice wood, but how? Now, the word "choice"presupposes variety from which to select, as I select or chooseso-and-so, which is my choice. But I use the word in another way, onthe face of it bearing the same significance, but not quite so. Isay it is _fine_, of superb quality for my purpose, which is theemission of the grandest tone possible, rapid, strong and sonorous, from two plates of wood, becoming, if they possess these attributes, choice to me. 

We will consider the back wood first. I have thirty pieces fromwhich to take one, which shall act in conjunction with the belly, tobe selected later on. Some are plain, pear tree, in fact; others arealso plain (I mean as regards figure, or flames, as the Germanssay), and of sycamore, others are of maple. I do not select ahandsome one for its beauty, just as surely as I do not reject anordinary one for its plainness. This will show you at once that I amseeking for that which, to my mind, will yield me the finest tone. 

Well, but we must determine this before we go farther, and in therough, the initial stage of the wood, supposed to be old, and fitfor the under table of the instrument about to be made. I will trythis one of maple--moderately handsome, looking old, but, I fear, not quite honest, as it is too heavy for its bulk. I take the halfof it (it being in two parts) and about one third from the top, having the thick edge, or that to which, later on, I join the otherthick edge, close to my left ear, my left first finger and thumbgrasping it there so as just to free the body for vibration, Istrike it near the lower part of the thin side rapidly, with thelarge joint of the first finger of my right hand. With what result?That of strengthening, almost confirming, my suspicion of itshonesty. For I find a lack of energy, of resonance, and of thatquality to which I apply the word sympathy. It is crude, it is dull, and it will _not_ do for my purpose. 

Well, but as so many go by what so many advocate and so many do, whynot try it by placing the plate in this vice, and applying a wellrosined bow to draw forth its sonority, etc. , etc. ? I will do so. Ifear many of you, even just in front of me, will scarce gather muchfrom the thin, miserable stuff which the wood says is its voice, andwhich its vendors assert to be old, well dried, and that for whichit was bought. And I pity, indeed, those receding into the mistybackground, for nought of this squeak will they hear, and well forthem! But as this second test is condemnatory and more and moreconvinces me of the unworthiness of the wood for a violin of highclass (or of any violin destined to live), let me put it to a stillmore searching one, in fact, to two, neither of which, I venture toassert, will it bear. 

I clamp it to the bench and proceed to cut with a gouge severalpieces from the _surface_ of an area of about three inches, close tothe thick edge. These I lay aside as No. 1. Deeper, but still fromthe same area, more, as No. 2. Deeper, but not now as deep asbefore, for an obvious reason, according to my theory, which is mylast heap and No. 3. Now, gentlemen, will you pass round thishandful. No. 1, what is there about it? Really, an acid smell! andNo. 2, the same, but less pungent; No. 3, less still! Well, thereyou have absolute proof of roguery, which, if it were lacking instrength, would be borne out by the diminution of the lying browncolour towards the centre of the wood, that colour, not of age, butof fraud, which, named acid, affects the surface more than theinterior, and which the novice gloats over as old and pure as God'smountains!

Well, but in addition to these two farther tests of smell andcolour--making wood, almost green wood, of probably not more thanfour years old, appear to the ignorant one hundred--there is anotherwhich I often use, and that is, as I do now, I make the plate rigid, but free to vibrate, so as to allow those mysterious motions play, and I place my ear at one extremity whilst I scratch or scrape, ormove the rosined bow over the other. 

With a similar result--the tone is not what I want, nor what itought to be from a piece of really old, well grown wood. But mind, it does not follow that, given these conditions, the genuine thingwould be what I want; but there would be more likelihood of itsbeing so, and less annoyance in laying it aside us worthless, as Ido this, selecting, for a second trial, a piece of what I callcrabbed wood, known by a peculiar curl, and its very handsome anduncommon appearance. 

But before I test this, I must tell you that none but a workman ofgreat skill would undertake to put it to use, as it is so "crabbed, "so twisted in its fibre, that on the least carelessness of theartist, out flies a chip from where it should not, and a verydelicate operation is resorted to in consequence to amend theblunder--insertion of a slip which must match the grain of theoriginal every way, not only in flame, but even just as the flash ofthat fire falls in its movement when it becomes part of a violin. 

I have said earlier "I do not select handsome wood for its beauty, "etc. , and the loveliness of this piece must not tempt me tosacrifice what I hold of more consequence--tone. But I should do sodid I now choose it; for it is weak where it should be strong, andpoor, flabby and wretched from the view of acoustics. 

So you see how difficult it is even for the eye of experience andthe mind of knowledge to wade through the vile to the pureuncontaminated: how much more so him, the sanguine amateur, at oncethe plaything and the dupe of those who do not scruple to beguilehim by the one to the safe usage of the other!

Still, do not let it be supposed that this slight tinge of the minorkey is intended to make you despond; on the contrary, I want to showyou better things, and mean to do so. And should the doing of itseem to prolong this part of my address beyond moderate limits, myexcuse must be its deep importance. 

I have laid aside three pieces of sycamore, all, as I believe, verygood for the back I purpose making. One is what is called "on thequarter, " the other two "on the slab" (these terms I shall explainlater, when I have fully spoken of the selection of wood). The twoon the slab are in one piece, of course; the one on the quarter intwo pieces, one of which, while I have been speaking, I have gluedslightly, but firmly, to an upright support of glass, made veryrough at the place where I fix the plate, so that the glue may thebetter hold, temporarily. 

The glass, being a non-conductor (or, if it respond in any way, however infinitesimally, it does not perceptibly affect my plate, and in no way my argument), leaves me the absolute control of thiswood, and I proceed to lay an English lever watch on several placesof it, keeping my ear near to that nodal point where I know willcome the inner bout, or D of the violin, consequently the bridge, which I mark with a X. The tick-tack of the watch varies in strengthas I get farther from or nearer to a nodal point, as, of course, itwas bound to do; but, from experience, it is a fine-toned piece ofwood. I detach it from the glass rod, and I try it by my finger andthumb test, and the vibrations and their quality are all I coulddesire. The signs of age appear genuine: the small pieces I cut fromit do not give out any smell which they should not, and I pronouncethe wood honest. I try the two whole backs, on the slab: both aregood, one very fine in tone and handsome in appearance, which Ifinally select for the violin about to be made. 

Well, but you may say, in all your experiments, it appears to us theresult is a question of degree. Exactly, a question of degree, aspurity of air is, but who chooses the foul when he can live in thepure? As with flowers in their unassuming simplicity up to suchelegance of form, colour and fragrance, that we stand amazed beforethem! As with man, from the worse than bestial state to whichintemperance and crime have brought him, to the calm majesty of thateminence, attained only by the love of truth, of self-government, and scorn of evil-doing!

This question of degree strikes at the root of the whole subjectbefore you: for, upon how you answer it, or to what person orpersons you repair for guidance in the selection of wood (beingnovices), will depend in a great measure your success or failure inthe instrument yet unmade. 

The upper table or belly, made of pine, Swiss pine by preference, isthe most important factor in the production of tone, consequentlythat to which the chief attention of the artist should be directed. No matter how good be his back or his ribs, or the sweep of hislines or curves, or quality of his varnish and its elasticity or itssuperb colour, the selection of wood for his upper table or belly, or soundboard, must be his chief concern, and neither money norenergy spared to secure the best. 

Well, I have by me several, of various degrees of excellence, andsome of very doubtful reputation; nay, I may at once say they arebad--even by their look they are bad. This one is fairly straight inthe grain, but it has been dried artificially, not as were thebacks, yet more wickedly treated--impregnated with a deleterioussomething having the power of destroying a germ destined, if left toage, to become the soul of resonance, bringing it at once to awretched maturity, its cells starved so, that when the strain ofthree hours' play in a hot room is put upon it, dumb is its voice, poor at the best, and it is played out. 

Do you not see that the soft part of the wood running between thelines or reeds, and where lie the cells of the pine, are too rapidlyagitated, and cannot possibly hold their own under such worn-outconditions? whereas, given honest wood and genuine age, we shouldget strength to resist, and from such resistance would come what weseek, richness, possible only from sound resonance. 

For these cells must have the vigour of mature age, if that age be150 years when naturally dried, in them; and my contention is, thatthe soundest is that which has not been robbed of its sap, asturpentine, before it be felled on the mountain side; but cut whenwell-grown, and well looked after for some years, then cut on thequarter (of which, later), and left for at _least_ seven more yearsbefore we use it; and mind, even then, it is _new wood_. 

I say, this is _my_ contention, and how I account for many superior, great-souled violins, which it has been my hard struggle to produce, yet now gaze on with pride; almost glorying in that enthusiasm whichenabled me to combat all against my theory, and do that which Ibelieve was done two hundred years ago, to such fine issues, reviledor not for so doing, is now to me of little consequence. 

Yet you must be told that there has been fierce, very fierce, controversy on this point, some going half-way and asserting only aportion of the sap should be withdrawn; some (and one of them agreat chemist, a friend of mine) fighting hard to have it all takenaway, and artificially dried after that! Does nature do this to thelungs of a Madame Patti or a Sims Reeves before she turns them onthe world? Nonsense!

But it is tests you want, and I will supply another, somewhatoriginal. This piece I called above, bad, I lay aside, as No. 1;another, worse in grain, but, I believe, honest, as far as havingthe sap left in it goes, but not old, No. 2; and a magnificent pieceof very old Swiss pine, brown, and honestly brown, with, probably, two or three hundred years of exposure as a beam in a Swiss chalet(for from that place and that dwelling I am prepared to prove itcomes to me), which I number 3. 

The No. 1 is what I call feverish in its vibrations, and would becertain to give any instrument a hollow tone, an instrument cuddled, tempered, and made to fit the ear of the expected purchaser by theexperienced one who has it to dispose of. The tone would not beintermittent--if it were that, we might have some hope of ultimatefulness and fair quality; but it would be loud and coarse; bawlingwhen it should be energetic, yet somewhat hoarse, scarce knowingwhere to vibrate, it being capable of doing so, and well, whenfairly mature. But that which, like the brazen actress, has a wordor a sentence ready at any moment, and in any key and in any pitch, say good-bye to _that_ at once. 

The No. 2 will be good in about four or five years, but would be badto work just now, so we will take up No. 3, upon which I must dwellsomewhat. 

I can depend on the gentleman's word who procured this and otherpieces for me; and I imagine his estimate of age is much under theapproximate date, for I should say it was nearer three than twohundred years old. The colour all through is a mellow brown; thereed is of medium width, well developed, and nearly equal all over, and it is singularly bowed from bottom to top, meeting, when joined(for it is in two parts), just as will a string of a violin when youhold it in both hands, and twang it to test its equal vibration. 

Who is bold enough to assert that this is not a piece of finelydeveloped virgin pine, grown on the southern slope of some Alpadjacent to where it had rested so long, in so mean a position forsuch finely sounding wood which I have proved it to be, yet destinedto fill such an honourable place in the grand instrument of which Itreat? No one, I venture to reply; but to my mind, and fromexperience, it _is_ such, the softer part, where run the cells, being firm, full, and mellow to the thumb nail on pressure (showing, I think, good sap lies dried there), which I have found before insuch wood, proved to be grand beyond doubt by its superb tone in aviolin. 

But I must give you, besides my other tests, that to which Ioccasionally resort. No. 1, you see, is as I intimated, loud andvulgar, ceasing its vibrations the instant I draw away my test ofbow, etc. , etc. , whereas No. 2 does behave better in this respect, but is crude, and must lie some years longer neglected, when it willbe interesting again to test it, by me or some other. No. 3 is all Icould wish, or was prepared for, so I will hasten to the final trialand bring this lecture to a close, not subjecting this No. 3 to thetrial which the others have undergone, as I am quite convinced ofits great superiority, but shall, along with the others, put it nowto the concluding one. 

From each of the three pieces, 1, 2, 3, I cut a slip, and, as youobserve, I put No. 1 in this bright clear fire behind me, preparedso that it shall be as nearly free from _flame_ as possible, toenable me to make the manner of burning of each separated piece morereal to you. 

From what I have said, leading up to what I now do, I imagine youwill be somewhat prepared for the manner in which No. 1 burns, andperhaps the other two. But I hardly think you expected such awretched flare up as you see here, such a fizzing, spluttering, ragged exhibition of imbecility. What of that sonority which couldfill a mighty hall where we find five thousand listeners? Is suchflabby nonsense as _this_ to be put into an immortal violin, becauseit purports to be fine Swiss pine at tenpence? But I reverence itsashes, and will lay them aside for a moment, as I wish you to seethem alongside the others, when burnt. 

No. 2 is all right as to the sap being in it, but it is toovolatile, somewhat crackling in its burning, yet far more steady inits flame, not spending its energy in fireworks, nor giving greatcracks, like a whip, and a jump afterwards as No. 1, so we will layaside _his_ ashes. 

Now, look at No. 3, as _it_ burns; and do not say, "You invariablyhave nothing but praise for your best things, how is that?" because, gentlemen, there is no blame which can be laid to them; that is why, and that is all. I ask you to look at this No. 3. It is a steadypiece of business altogether. The flame is strong, bright, andwell-sustained, with little or no smoke, and it gradually dies down, as, if you will allow my fancy, does he who has grown in uprightnessto fine maturity, hale and beautiful to the last. Look at theremains of the three slips. The first is little more than blackfluff; I can actually blow it away, poor rubbish! while the secondand third are similar to each other, but the No. 3 is more compact, if I may so say, and this is what its excellence before burningwould prepare one for. 

And do you now wonder that I so insist on every test possible beingbrought to bear in this important matter of selection? Which of youwould hesitate one moment in his choice between these three bellies_now_? But you must still bear in mind that what I say _I_ bear outby test, others will decry as false, as their theory is asabsolutely opposite to mine as the poles. But it will be proved yet, and on stable grounds; and if I, in conjunction with a man of greatscientific attainments, succeed, on my theory, in the injection ofliquid rosin, or turpentine, into the cells of a piece ofbroad-grained pine from which we can be sure its original sap hasbeen withdrawn, and keep it well exposed to dry air for seven or soyears; by its side a belly, cut from the same piece, in its saplessstate; and then make two violins exactly alike in back andthicknesses of plates, etc. , of the two pieces of pine, the one rawand sapless, its other half with an injection of rosin; I say wehave done somewhat to allay anxiety on such a vital question, andcan the more readily meet argument should we triumph on the point oftone--which is our standpoint--or settle down to take the tapped orthe untapped indiscriminately. 

CHAPTER II. THE BACK. 

I naturally suppose you will supply yourselves with twobenches--good, strong, English made, workmanlike things, one of themto be fitted with a single vice, the other with a double one, forjoints, and for some work requiring such. And that you will get suchtools as will be requisite from time to time for your work. 

[Illustration: Illustration of Tools used in Violin Making by WalterH. Mayson. ]

Then do me the honour of marking very closely how I set about my nottoo easy employment; for if you follow my ways, you will do well toobserve every turn of them; remembering that every part of thebuilding of this little, though mighty, shell is of greatimportance, and that there is nothing trivial about it. 

A prudent and watchful general will be very careful to see his rearis clear of the enemy before he makes an advance after anengagement; so I remember I have to speak to you of wood "on thequarter" and "on the slab" before we go farther. 

If you select a large orange, and take it entirely to pieces, youwill have by you, without any farther illustration from me, my exactmeaning of "on the quarter. "

For, when a tree is cut into parts for the violin, it is sawnequally in half, first; then each half into two quarters, and so on, exactly as is the orange subdivided; this is, I hope, clear to youas "on the quarter. " I need hardly add that the broad edges, whichyou join afterwards, making the wood for the upper or lower tablelook like the roof of a house, are at the outer part of the tree, springing from the centre, where are the broadest rims, as isnatural, seeing that youth is there, vigorous and full of sap;whilst the rims decrease to the outer, or bark part, in some casesvery decidedly in width, in others more slowly. So you may gatherfrom this why we have the narrow bait, or reed, where the bridgecomes, the open reed at the edge. At least, I hope you can see thereason, which is, as generally admitted, and is certainly _my_ viewof the matter, the strength is most wanted at the centre of theviolin, as at the bridge, which the closeness of the reeds andnarrowness of cell passages would supply. The broad reed is morevolatile, and we put it to the edges, where it throws off thegathered activity of resonance, recurring so rapidly, which weincrease by reducing the thickness of the plate there, bringingabout that timbre so rich to the ear of the listener. These remarksapply to the belly, and are offered "on the quarter" only. Wood "onthe slab" is never used for the front table in any case, as, cutthat way, it would be far too weak. 

For "on the slab" means that our orange and our tree are cut_through_ the rings or reeds in flat layers of equal thickness (asrequired); and it is at once obvious that, in the upper plate, wouldbe not only ugliness of broad, irregular figure of wood, with nowand again snatches of the bait as it should be, and as I haveendeavoured to show it is; but apart from its general weakness, itwould be most irregular as the main vibrator or soundboard, so isentirely discarded. 

But both ways of cutting are employed for the back; I have heardtone as fine from one as from the other, yet I think, as a rule, Iprefer the quarter to the slab, as being somewhat more resonant andof finer timbre. 

At the last moment I have selected the "brother" of my "Elephanta"violin--I mean its back--in one piece, but on the "quarter" inpreference to the one on the "slab, " so we will now proceed toactive work upon it. 

I clamp the selected wood to this bench, having the flat sideuppermost, and so that I can plane it to a perfect level surface, first at the narrow end, then at the broad, but _across_ the wood, as, being sycamore, it is very liable to cut very roughly if donelengthwise. This I do with a twenty-two inch trying plane, andhaving done it to my mind, I take cork rubber, as shown onillustration of tools used by me, No. 67, and rough sand paper, No. 2-1/2, maker's number, and proceed to scour it level--smoothness isnot essential. 

With compasses 55 (again referring you to tool plate, as I shalloften have to do), I find the centre of the wood at both ends, and Imake a dot at each, then draw a distinct line down this centre, having placed a straight edge EXACTLY over each dot. And I mustinsist on this "exactly" wherever exactness that is only amechanical result can be obtained; in the present instance, mind, any deviation from this base of operations, as I may safely say, will land you in no end of difficulties, as everything must be"square with the fiddle, " as we have a habit of saying, though thewhole is a matter of curves and lines, there being nothing ofsquareness about it. Having drawn this decided line, I take my halfoutline, plate 1, and place it exactly where, by tracing close tothe side of it, touching every turn so that there can be no mistakehereafter, nor any "dog leg" nor broken curve, I reverse the veneer(the outline is of veneer) and do exactly the same as before, andyou see the whole violin drawn, except that the button at the top ofthe instrument is in a rough state, and is not finished until theneck be added at the last. Plate 2. 

[Illustration: PLATE I. ]

[Illustration: PLATE II. ]

This outline is my own, drawn by me after Stradivari, but not by anymeans a copy of that master. Dimensions are:--

 Length to where button joins the body . . 14-3/8 inches. Width of upper bout . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3/4 " " " middle bout . . . . . . . . . . 4-3/8 " " " lower bout . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5/16 "

To be certain that my work is correct, I will prove it (for _you_will have to do so when you begin), ruling a line from one upperpoint of lower corner to the other; and from one lower point ofupper corner to the other, which gives you a square at each end ofmiddle bout. 

I take compasses and place the point of one leg on square centre ofbroad end, and, opening until the point of the other leg toucheslower point of upper corner, I describe a curve to opposite point;and I turn the back bottom to top, repeating the same to prove lowercorners true. And both stand the test thoroughly. 

The next stage, rough as it appears in Plate 3, after cutting, willrequire great care on your part, or you will spoil your back; pleasenote how it is done by me. I fix it in the double vice, the flatside, where is drawn the outline, facing me as I sit before it on ahigh stool. With saw 68 in my hands, drawn up taut by the slip ofwood at the top tightening the string it controls, I proceed to cutfrom the top _straight_ down by the button, until I meet the lineforming the upper sweep of the back. But you will observe how verycareful I am as I prepare to turn the saw from straight to rightangle (which is really at left curve at the button). I grease thesaw well, turn it at both handles, so that when I again put the sawin motion, the steel lies flat, edges or teeth to the left, theframe of the saw upright. 

[Illustration: PLATE III. ]

I hope I have made this sufficiently plain, and that what I havesaid will enable you to go well round the violin back, guarding thecorners, always greasing your saw as you prepare to round them, rather giving them a wide berth than brushing close past, almosttouching the line, in a hurry, when snap may go your steel or acorner of the back. 

As intimated, you must clear the line by one-sixteenth inch, so thatno risk is run by taking too much wood off, cleverly put on again, when matched by an expert, but which could hardly be done by youjust yet. 

Well, as you see, I have cleared the rough back from the main bodyof the still rougher oblong wood, and it must now be my business tocut this rough outline to its true form, which is done by looking atthe flat side where this pencil outline is, and with a very sharp, flat-ground knife, specially made for violin makers, tool 19. Butbefore this is done, the main body must be reduced at the edges, onthe convex or outer side, of course, to about the thickness ofthree-sixteenths of an inch good, which is a simple matter, if donewith one and a quarter inch gouge 43, in this manner. 

In the middle of the bench, which will be your general one, and fiveinches from the edge, cut a one-inch square right through the wood, and fit a long stop therein, the tighter the better, and somewhatrounded off at the inner corner facing you. This will serve to keepone end of back or belly rigid when the other end is provided for, as I do thus:--About fifteen inches from this square top, and toyour right, clamp down a piece of hard wood, three inches broad, anda quarter of an inch thick, square with the bench, and on bothsides. Then cut a square hole in it, five inches from bench side, toenable you to allow the rough button to lie whilst you operate onone side of the back, then on the other. This, as you must see, enables the wood upon which you are to work, perfect freedom fromobstruction of any sort, whilst the gouge cuts roughly all round, asshown in plate 3. 

So, leaving the convex side as it is for the present, I resume, asto cutting to the true outline with the knife. You can begin whereyou like, but I generally clear the right side first. I cut throughthe pencil line, not entirely obliterating it (which you will notfind easy), because, after awhile, I have to efface it altogetherwith a file, to a perfect, smooth line. These square corners--thesecurves of top, middle, and lower bouts--all and everything must bewell done, and no one thing outside of beauty left for the criticaleye to gape at. 

Turning the plate to the outer side, I press it flat, between thesquare let into the bench and the three-inch slip clamped aboutfifteen inches apart, as spoken of before. This is done so that itmay be rigid whilst I take one-inch rasp 47, and proceed to levelall round the wood to about five-eighths of an inch andfive-thirty-seconds of an inch deep. When I get to the ends of theback I loosen the wood, and use the file more freely at the end ofthe bench. But this is a matter left entirely to the workman. Whenthis is nicely done, I wet a sponge and damp all I have gone over, surface and edge alike, and let it thoroughly dry, and when it isso, I employ medium cut file 63, half round, seven-eighths of aninch broad, and make the edge of the wood clean, and so even allround, that my first finger or thumb passes over the surface withouta suspicion of irregularity suggesting itself. This, mind, must bemost carefully done, as otherwise, if you, to make both ends meet, so to speak, take off _here_ a morsel too much, and a little extra_there_, to repair your fault, thinking to improve your line, youwill find it _broken_, and no longer in uninterrupted movement, asit should be. I would rather see almost anything bad about thisnoble instrument than a slovenly outline, for it is not only ugly initself, but leads to other imperfections, and should be moststrongly condemned in the modern school; it will most certainly beby me, should a school spring from this book, as is already spokenof as most likely. 

The line being right, I next see to the flat edge being strictly ofone thickness all round, which I get to my mind by using a corkrubber-tool 67, and about No. 1 sandpaper--maker's number. You canbe sure of this correctness by using a sawyer's circular roundgauge--and you had best do so. 

Now, gentlemen, this brings me to

CHAPTER III. PURFLING. 

There seems a difference of opinion as to where this word originallywas used. I fancy in ancient heraldry; but there the word is"pur_flew_" a "bordure of ermines, peans, or furs, " whilst theancients spell it "pur_file_, " a "trimming for women's gowns. "Milton says "to purfle--to embroider. " So it seems it has ever beenused as an ornamental border, no matter what thing it had to grace, for grace it is: and though not essential to the violin in thematter of tone, yet it most certainly is from an artistic point ofview; and its absence in an old instrument constitutes the doubledrawback of being unfinished, and of less, very much less, value. 

But it will be asked by some people, who know something of theconstruction of the instrument, "what has purfling got to do withthe making of a violin at this stage?" To which I answer, much, verymuch indeed from my standpoint, and according to my theory, as Iwill explain. It will not be denied, I think, that makers have doneand now do this ornamental part _after_ the body of the instrumentis put together--in fact, the query at the beginning of thisparagraph proves it; by whom I do not know, nor advocated by whatbook. But I ask you, is it not vexatious when all your efforts havebeen used to work up your surfaces and to round off and finish youredges, you must in a sense undo much of it, temporarily, by using atool, or tools, to cut the narrow channel for the ornament, andusing glue to finally fix it, when _some_ of the superfluouspurfling has either to be cut away by a gouge or scraper? Andbesides, and to me most important, glue, though wiped quickly awaywith a sponge and hot water, _will_ leave a residue which can neverbe wholly got out of the pores; and this should not be if you want abrilliant varnish. Of course I mean oil varnish, but am apt toforget this age of cheapness, which flies to easily put on, quick-drying, cheap spirit. 

So, as I made it quite clear to you when introducing the subject ofthese lectures, that it was entirely on _my_ system that I was goingto work, so we will now resume, I deeming no apology necessary foroccupying your time in denouncing what, should you imitate, would bebad in art. 

It is not my intention to go over the various styles ofpurfling--double, variegated, etc. , etc. --but to show you how Iprepare and place that which is universal now, the single, composed, as most people know, of two very thin strips of black wood on eitherside of one white one. But to do this, I must mark, cut and removethe groove in which it has to rest, which requires much explanation. 

The outlined back, being quite ready for marking, I clamp down tothe bench with two of those marked 11, one at either end, leavingone side of the outlet free. Then I take this specially-madepurfling tool, No. 13, with its tracers fixed for marking the twoparallel lines about five-thirty-seconds of an inch from the perfectoutline of the back, and I grasp the handle in both handsperpendicularly, pressing the revolving wheel against the edge, ofcourse, and keeping the steel markers going carefully and with onlyslight pressure all round the instrument, stopping without running_off_ at the corners, however. There is, you see, about two inchesnot marked where the button comes; this must be traced by placing apiece of prepared hard wood, made to touch just the same curve aswhere the lines would have come had there been no wood there for abutton. This must be very carefully placed and traced, as, otherwise, all will not be in correct sweep. 

Now, gentlemen, we enter on a difficult stage--nay, two; but then, as I was once asked by a gentleman, "Which part of a violin is themost difficult to make?" I replied, "Every part. " But not quitethat; still, what I am now going to do is not by any means theleast. But you must not lose heart; he who never fights, neverconquers; the man who never blundered or made a mistake, never madeanything. 

Fasten the plate again on the inner part, not the edge, of thebench, so that you can lean over to do what you see I am about todo, and remove cramps as occasion requires. This is a one andone-eighth inch pointed gouge, 54, long ground and very sharp andthin. I grasp it in my right hand, holding and guiding with theleft, and gently work to barely the depth of the purfling along oneof the two narrow lines, and then the other for a short distance, until I get a somewhat more substantial double line all over thebody. But I must warn you respecting the very tender corners. Whenyou are about say an inch from each on both of its turns, work thethree-quarter inch gouge, 52, still more guardedly, and barely sodeep, and to a very fine point, both curves, ready to receive thetwo joined pieces of purfling which is to present you with what iscalled the "Bees' sting. " Do all this as well as lies in your power, for upon this channel being well cut will depend much of the successof the whole ornamentation. 

Finishing the tracing and cutting the groove, I find tool No. 0, andremove the strip from it, plate 4. And let me here again tell you tobe careful, as it is so easy for a chip to flirt airily from eitherside, or for your tool to probe too deeply and nearly through thewood, putting you--or, more likely, some one else--to trouble andvery nice mending ere all is sound. And the corners only look reallywell and handsome when you find them as on plate 4, becauseexperience tells one the material to go therein can be made to lookequally so. 

[Illustration: PLATE IV. ]

To cut the prepared purfling into lengths (only approximate, exacthad better not yet be tried by you), and heat the iron (inside thebending iron) to a good red, but not white heat, is the next thing Ido, and, while the tool is getting ready for me, I cut the purflingof the middle bout at one end only, so that I have half of thefinely graduated point we see in a corner of a well-wrought violin, the half springing from one of the other bouts forming the completewhole. You must not suppose that the _exact_ length of the ornamentis to be measured by you, no, not with unabated practice; you willhave to begin with a length always longer than you need, and parefrom the points until your lengths fit beautifully before they arefixed with glue--that is, after bending to shape, which I nowproceed to do. 

Of course, my experience is great, so I manage to get through thisvery tedious part of the work without breaking the sensitive threadof wood; but I am bound to tell you that you must be prepared formishaps, as you will be sometimes off your guard and apply force (ifever so mild) to bend what tact, a sort of feeling I may say, and aniron kept hot, can alone achieve. But, if you break, prepare freshlengths, and again and again; and I warrant your repeated disasterswill have something to do with amended touch, and consequently itsresults. 

CHAPTER IV. BENDING THE PURFLING. 

What I have proved is the best way to bend the purfling isthis--place the heated iron (plate 5) in the bending socket, and, when all is so that a smart rap of your hand on the metal shows youthe warmth is about as you want it, hold the purfling by the lefthand, the mitred end to the iron, so that when you bend, by holding, say rasp 47 in the right hand firmly against the point, and _lettingthe heat only make the curve you want_, or nearly without pressure, you will, I think, not do bad work. 

[Illustration: PLATE V. ]

So I am now ready to fix this ornament in the groove prepared, andhave ready thin glue and a table knife to run it there, section bysection, as, in cold weather especially, the liquid sets so rapidly. 

I select the middle bout of either side (it is not material which)and lay in the glue rapidly, and yet more rapidly the slip forinsertion, merely at this stage laying it flat, and going to thelower and upper bouts, joining the corners as mitred as well as Ipossibly can. Then I press the purfling as deep as it will sink allover, finally wiping all superfluous glue away with sponge and hotwater. But I have not done yet, for there may be a weak place or twoin my work that glue will strengthen, so I run yet a little thinnerall over the insertion, and let it rest until next morning, when itwill mostly have sunk somewhere. 

When you are at this stage, great headway has been made; but youmust now make ready for greater exertions, and prepare to complywith the requirements of the higher branches of this most exactingart, which you will when you model the back as I now begin to dothis, which has dried overnight. 

But I must pause to make you acquainted with the difference between"outline" and "model" of a violin--not by any means synonymous, assome have supposed and do yet suppose. I ought, perhaps, to havedone this before, but will no longer delay. 

It always makes me feel very angry when I hear some person, palpablyignorant in the matter, exclaim, "what a fine model" when he or shemeans "outline. " And again, "this is a grand 'copy' of so-and-so, "when _example_ of such is meant; how can an example of, say "Mayson"be a "copy" of him? A fine outline will naturally lead you to expecta fine model--that is to say, arching of length and breadth, graceful and perfectly relative as regards proportion, curves, andan unmistakeable _oneness of expression_, if I may so speak, ofevery part as a whole, nothing whatever of incongruity or want ofsymmetry intruding to disturb once and always the gaze of theconnoisseur. 

But it by no means follows that a grandly carved and completed modelhas for its counterpart an equally bold yet subtly refined outline;on the contrary, I have seen just the reverse, as I have also seenmost wretched modelling wedded to an outline fit to grace the finestinstrument extant. But it is not often so, for, as a rule, where amind is highly gifted, so that elegance breathes in what its bodycreates, a broken line or curve comes as a great surprise, and oneis apt to doubt the same hand fashioned it all. 

Be this as it may, call things by their proper names, and in elegantterms where no quaint ones are sacrificed; and if you know better, never let a false epithet pass unchallenged, for I do not see why arefined, but _correct_, mode of expression should not be asvigorously upheld in this fine art as in speaking of any of itssisters. For surely vulgarity has no right of place in itsvocabulary, yet much language that is certainly not elegant, and notof any particular force of expression, finds repose therein; and areally beautiful and great work is neither made more lovely nor moreexalted through contact with that which has neither the status ofthe one nor the other at heart, except that beauty or high estate beready ministers of a rapacity calculated sooner or later to bringabout its own terrible undoing. 

So I resume, all being hard and dry, and begin to model the back. 

CHAPTER V. MODELLING THE BACK. 

Pressing the plate firmly between the fixed rests on the bench, Itake three-quarter inch gouge, tool 22, and proceed to cut a channelentirely round the wood to the depth of about one-twelfth of an inchand about three-quarters of an inch broad from one-sixteenth orrather less, of an inch from extreme edge, and through the purfling, of course. The student will at once see that this is done as a basefrom which is to spring the arching. There must be no attempt at a_finished_ bend in going over this groove; but there must be thegreatest care observed in the cutting of it, as you are using thetool following the outline, consequently, in the manner most liableto encounter disaster in the shape of chips flying from that narrowedging which it is your set business to leave as intact as possible. 

After going over the wood in what I call "the guitar line, " that isto say, passing by for the present all the corners, I return tothem, in my hand gouge 24, three-eighths of an inch, and work themout on the same basis exactly as the main groove. All this being tomy mind as shown in fig. 6, I take gouge 43, used before, and in theroughest way possible, and avoiding any depth of cutting, I modelthe back in its first stage, as shown in fig. 7, obtaining even herea decently developed and somewhat truthful arching all over. 

[Illustration: PLATE VI. ]

[Illustration: PLATE VII. ]

From which I advance to obtain the first smooth stage all over, asin fig. 8, thus--with a square of No. 2-1/2 sandpaper folded inhalf, so that in size it is about 2-1/2 inches all ways, and thisagain folded crosswise, giving me a firm point as would be a rasp soformed, I work out the corners, and all about them for, say, aninch, until I get a beginning and an example of groundwork fromwhich to smooth down the whole. Then I take the cork rubber, tool67, and a piece of sandpaper as last, rather larger than the onejust used, so that I can bend it firmly over both sides and as Iwant, when I change it about to secure a fresh, sharp edge. 

[Illustration: PLATE VIII. ]

I begin by firmly placing the wood, etc. , as before, and working thesandpaper (over the cork), firmly pressed in the first stage, against the rough, raised edge, all around the outline, but beingmost careful not to wear what is left of it away, which must be leftintact as far as possible to the end, when it is made to assume thatbeautiful sort of curled, yet sharp edge so much admired. Then, moretowards the upper ridges, over and over, backwards and forwards, having always the careful arching and model of elegance before me, until I arrive at that growing stage of the work as shown in fig. 8, which I proceed to damp well all over with a wet sponge, thesurface, as you may see, as I hold it well to the light, being againabominably rough, and not at all _now_ like fig. 8, as the moisturehas raised the fibres in all directions. 

But before I go farther into this interesting, consequentlyabsorbing process, I must answer some question such as "but why usesandpaper? it is decried by most experts, and utterly ignored bysome writers as having no status among the tools used byprofessional makers of note, and was not believed to have had aplace among those of the Ancients. "

Then so much the worse for the work of the makers of to-day and forthose of yesterday. But who says the ancients did not use it, orcrocodile skin, or a cloth made in Venice, and somewhat after ouremery cloth? or variously shaped files of different cuttings? At atime when sculpture and very chaste and highly finished woodworkwould employ it largely, does any one mean to assert that theviolin, not by any means held in the estimation it is to-day, mustreceive the dignity of small plane and scraper only, and such auseful article treated with contempt _because_ it was what it was?If they do, or any of you do, I should much like to devote an hourprivately to any such, when it should be my business to combat sucha sentiment, more especially as some writers seem to hint that whensandpaper is used, its scratchy effects can be traced, as I couldbring many of my finest efforts to prove the contrary. 

My reason for not using small planes for modelling is, that in thefirst cutting you cannot possibly go over the delicate groovewithout endangering the surface level--that is to say, if you tearany part in going against the grain (or sometimes with it) and go_deeper_ than you should, would you not at once ruin your even flowof curves as by early arrangement you had set out? your only escapefrom fiasco being sinking to a lower surface and sacrificing youroriginal conception of true proportion. 

Therefore, I stand to the system adopted at the outset of my career, and resume. The wetted surface being thoroughly dry (not apparentlyso, but really free from any feeling whatever of dampness) I takethe next degree towards fineness of sandpaper (or if you like theterm "glass-paper" better, by all means adopt it), and I doprecisely as formerly, again and again, until six courses have beencarefully gone over. Then I go over the same ground six times more, using scrapers 4, 20, 26, 62 alternately, and continually holding upthe surfaces to the light as they develop their curves and archingstruer and more true, as I scrape here and there with great patienceto bring all this about. At this point I suppose you will think themodelling and surface finishing is finally accomplished, and thatthe interesting passages on thicknesses are about to be written. Butit is not so, for the final surface of silk-like smoothness is fouror five coats farther from me yet. So I attack with No. 1 sandpaperthe surface once more, mostly cross-wise this and all followingstages, putting fair pressure and with both hands on the rubber, sothat I get sure curves and even surface all over; and then I takeNo. 0 paper, working well many times round and round by the outlineand all over and lengthwise among the curves until I finish thisexacting piece of business and fine art, as shown in fig. 9. 

[Illustration: PLATE IX. ]

And the height of the wood at the middle bout is five-eighths of aninch; at the upper seven-sixteenths of an inch; at the lower, barehalf-inch more or less, a fine eye being necessary to discriminateto a hair. 

CHAPTER VI. WORKING OUT THE BACK. 

Passing on, I draw your attention to the working out of the back. 

I show you, fig. 10, what must be drawn on the back and belly (onthe flat, of course) before a chisel touches the wood forexcavation. The blocks at either end speak for themselves, theyhaving been fashioned to shape out of Swiss pine, and planed andsquared so as to be glued square where you see them marked, lateron. And be sure they stand one-and-a-half inches high in the rough, for a reason I will give you later, and about five-eighths of aninch thick, to about the breadth you see on fig. 10. 

[Illustration: PLATE X. ]

Before, however, you can do anything in hollowing out the back, youwill have to provide yourselves with a bed in which your table mustfirmly rest while you do so. Therefore, purchase a block of drybeech or birch, about one-and-a-half inches thick, sixteen incheslong by eleven inches wide, and lay your finished back in the centreof it, tracing the whole outline, button as well, distinctlythereon; and having done so, cut by the outline inside all round tothe depth of about one quarter of an inch, and from this basisproceed to make, as nearly as possible, a counterpart of the modelof your back, but reversed, of course. And get all the tool ridgeswell levelled with rough to fine sandpaper; and, when you lay inyour table for cutting, place a strong piece of brown paper for itto rest upon, not only to prevent it in any way scratching the finesurface of your wood obtained at so much trouble, but it enables youto shake off it quickly any residue of coarse dust or small cuttingsthat _will_ creep under the wood upon which you are working; and soyou get on rapidly and cleanly. 

You will notice that I have again drawn the guitar line, and at adistance from the outline, so that a sufficiently flat surface isallowed for the ribs to rest firmly upon later. And I cut all roundthis line just as an indication, merely as a starting point fromwhich to work more deeply all over, until I arrive at a point whenthe calipers, No. 34, test the thicknesses roughly--which is by theway. For I have first to cut three cross channels, at the upper, middle, and lower nodal points, fig. 11, at such a depth that Icaliper good three-sixteenths of an inch at the centre of middlegroove, one-eighth of an inch upper and lower, falling away verylittle to all edges for the present. And I draw a distinct pencilmark through each groove, so that I must be a poor workman indeed ifI go through the wood through these bars, as I have known somenovices to do, or cannot gauge pretty well all over by their aidbefore using the calipers. 

[Illustration: PLATE XI. ]

But you who, when beginning to cut out back or belly, having no sortof experience whatever, must use every care possible, and keepcalipers No. 3 (double) going constantly, as, with their aid, youwill at once see by the outside half the thickness registered at theinner; then you can pare away with gouges, small and large, and withspoke shaves, Nos. 48 and 53, until you get a fairly sloping andsomewhat level surface from bare three-sixteenths of an inch incentre to full three-thirty-seconds of an inch all round by theedges, as shown by calipers. 

And thus I come to the first rough thicknesses of the back; and Idamp the surface all over as I did the outside, and dry itcarefully; for you will understand the necessity for thiscarefulness, there being some fear of slight warping from the trueflatness now the wood is thin all over, if quick, artificial heat beadopted to draw the moisture. 

Whilst this natural process is going on, you must take the largecalipers and open them at three-sixteenths of an inch. Then hold theplate in the extended left hand by middle bout, inside upwards, calipers and a long lead pencil _together_ in the other; and, beginning at the centre of the plate, draw the calipers carefullyfrom this starting-point all over the rough surface, gauging withyour eye for the present any irregularities of said surface; for Iwant you to mark every part where the points stick, first within aradius of three inches, gradually extending your field ofoperations, slightly tightening the calipers as you get farther awayfrom your centre, until the edges are finally reached, when you usethe double calipers, No. 3, to ascertain the exact thickness atthose places. 

This being done, and the places marked levelled down, using spokeshaves, flat gouge No. 50, and rough sandpaper 3, take again thelarge calipers and go over the whole as before, but more carefully;and do this time after time, until the plate is accurately gaugedfrom five-thirty-seconds of an inch centre to the diminution ofabout a good sixteenth--say one-twelfth of an inch at the edges. Myway of working has always been thus, in preference to using whatpeople call "indicating calipers"; and my advice to you is, dolikewise, for you not only get over your ground more nimbly, but youcan get from your centre more accurately, I maintain, gradation ofthicknesses. I give you what I have proved the best thicknesses formy backs, and am pleased to do so to all the world; but if you careto try a hair or two thinner in the centre, adding those hairs tothe edges, do so; you will not lose in energy, but you will intimbre, a trifle. 

Before finally quitting this hollowing out of the back, gauge forthe last time, then use fine sandpaper, and leave no mark of anytool whatever, as by clean work you will be judged. 

This question of thicknesses is an important one, but applies moreto the belly than the back; and I shall have more to say on thishead when I get to that soundboard, merely adding now that the backmust never be weak in wood, yet, at the same time, never so strongthat a woody tone is the result, inevitable, as the timbre qualityis scarcely developed, and without that I never care for it. 

It is desirable at this stage that I point out to you how the inneredges of the back are rounded before the ribs are fixed. I use fileNo. 6, half round, flat side to the wood first, turning to the roundside for finish. When at the corners, I employ knife No. 8 incutting where the file would not do it so well in the early stage, and this file not at all nicely for finish, so I employ a smallerone, No. 9, to these corners, the other all over the rest of thewood, cleanly doing the work so that about one-sixteenth only of theinner edge is rounded off. Then No. 1 sandpaper is used to finishoff the work done, and the next stage is glueing on the end blocks, preparatory to fixing the ribs as they get made--of which, later. 

So, for the present, I leave the back, and take up the wood you willremember I selected for the front table, or belly, and devote to ita separate section; merely adding that in the course of my work Ihave so arranged all the thicknesses of the back that it answers tothe tone C, which do not forget, as I shall have again to refer toit. 

CHAPTER VII. THE BELLY. 

This is the soundboard of the instrument--that which, I suppose, vibrates as fourteen to ten as compared with the back--that is tosay, it is recorded that, given equal conditions, such will be thecase. It is that which first receives concussion as the bow strikesthe strings, which shock travels down the upper surface of the gutfrom the bridge until the nut at the end of the fingerboard bereached, when it flies under the said string to the bridge again, which communicates the shock to the belly, the belly to the back bysoundpost, ribs, neck, scroll, and all about it, to the mass of airin the body of the violin, when comes what we call tone, and rightlydo we call it so, if pure vibrations have been brought into play, otherwise noise would be a much safer word to use. Of course, I giveyou the above in detail: it will appear to you as though the wholeof the agitations were simultaneous, such is the amazing rapiditywith which all this takes place. And I only give it to show you howincumbent it is upon you to use every care in all you do whenengaged in this work, more especially that on the upper table. Forno matter how well your back may be gauged, finished, and finallyadjusted; or your ribs, how equally balanced one with another or inrelative proportions with the whole: if your tell-tale soundboard bedefectively wrought, cheeks too much hollowed, or the thicknessescarelessly seen to, there will be beats in your tone, stringsirregular, weak notes and strong ones, and a general unsatisfactoryresult which could easily have been avoided. 

But I will get to work on this upper table; and, there being someinteresting features to notice as the panorama of its constructionpasses before your eyes, you will do well to let nothing escape yourobservation; besides, there is much that is merely a repetition ofthe working of the back, and which I omit in letterpress. 

The said back, you will remember, was in a whole piece--this bellyis in two pieces, as I intimated under the heading "selection ofwood"; and, as a natural consequence, has to be joined before I canoperate upon it as a whole before you. The manner of preparing thetwo half plates for a joint is this:--upon this bench I place whatis called a shooting board--a board, as you may observe, upon which, near one end, is inserted, right across it from edge to edge, apiece of wood, square with the length, to serve as a stop againstwhich I press what it will be convenient to call one half of theroof of a house, fig. 1, plate 12, lengthwise, which serves toillustrate one half of the belly, thickest edge, of course, on asquare with the edge running along by where rests a very choicetrying plane, on its side, tool touching this plate, which I holdwith my left hand firmly, whilst I _shoot_ the said plane from endto end of the half belly, fig. 2, plate 12. This I repeat on theother half, and then hold them together, flat side towards me, as Iraise the two to a strong light, and if no glimmer whatever creepsbetween the joint, then I call the two plates perfectly united, andready for the glue to make this absolute. But if they do not appearas I intimate, then you must operate until this very important partof your work be strictly that of a perfect whole; for, remember, asa whole the two parts must remain for as long as the violin holdstogether, which may be for two hundred years over and above theyears that shall be given to you who make it; and this alone shouldbe an incentive to good work. 

[Illustration: PLATE XII. ]

We now arrive at this joining of the wood for the soundboard, andthe glue to be used must be of the best. Not too thin, butsufficiently so to drop freely from the brush used, and clear whilstbeing tenacious, as felt by pressure between finger and thumb. 

As you may observe, I place one half of the wood in the vice of thebench, and on this, the other half (fig. 3, plate 12). With the hotglue to my right hand, I take the loose half of the wood in my left, and hold it against the one fixed in the bench, and upon the twobroad centres or outside edges thus exposed, I work rapidly a goodlayer of the glue, and then, placing them on each other again, Imove them very firmly backwards and forwards, and so they areunited, remaining in the bench until set. 

My dear friends, it is not to be supposed you will do thisexceedingly difficult piece of business even moderately well atfirst; but you will have to do it somehow as a commencement, and Ihope I have made all clear to you. Think the thing well over; seeyour way well ahead; and I am quite sure your success will becommensurate with your endeavour. 

From this stage you will have to repeat what was done to the back, until you reach the cutting out of the groove preparatory toinsertion of the purfling; and I only stop you here to direct yourspecial attention to one feature of that groove, or, rather, four ofthe same character, viz. , the corners. These, owing to the softnature of the wood, will be difficult for you to cut out clean, soas to leave the sharp point (so much admired when well done, so muchcondemned when ill) clear and distinct; and you must use small sharpknife, No. 8, to effect this, not taking the gouge, 52, to theextreme corner when using it near to it, as the pressure would, without doubt, break it off. 

Leaving you with this caution, I shall imagine all done as was thework on the back up to cutting the groove after purfling, plate 6, and resume there, for the purpose of warning you that the gouges forthis same work on the soft pine, as opposed to the sycamore, must beexceptionally sharp, and you _must cut_, and very clean, too, or youwill tear the wood, and go below your level, as I before cautionedyou. More than this I need not say just here, so proceed with themodelling of the belly, on the former lines gone over for thedevelopment of the back, with this difference, you must only usecoarse sandpaper in the very early stages, and continue the workover more stages by at least three than on the back; for pine takesmore readily scratches, and takes them deeper, than sycamore; andmore patience in bringing it to a surface like satin, where no traceof scratch from scraper or sandpaper can be detected under delicatevarnish. 

Then you must continue until the finished plate 9 is reached, only, as I said above, bringing up the surface to a finer state than theback--not to be called waste of time by you on any account, as youwill soon understand when you come to find out what a heartlessexposer of any frailty is oil varnish. 

So at length we come to the hollowing out and to the thicknesses ofthe belly. 

CHAPTER VIII. THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY. 

Cut the three channels across as explained for the back, but in thisway:--At the upper nodal point, so that your calipers register bareone-eighth of an inch from one side to the other, centre aswell--same at the other node; and at the centre, full--ratherover--one-eighth across, all to be for the present only, as a slightcorrection will be effected as the final stage of the use of thecalipers is reached. 

Then operate over the whole surface on these lines, taking little ornothing from the extreme edges, because I want you to reserve yourstrength there in case your pine turns out very active--that is tosay, very sensitive to vibration, in which case, mark me, you mustkeep up your strength of wood, as this extreme activity will not bein harmony with the regulation mass of air in the violin, and thesteadiness of tone will suffer in consequence. 

And, that you may very clearly understand the reason of thisoccasional activity, I must tell you that sometimes the wood, inbeing cut by the saw at the mill, gets a trifle _off the quarter_ onto the slab; and this, coming to the edges, is less able towithstand the strength of the air in its action of 512 beats to thesecond, say of responsive C; whereas, all being properly and fairlyon the quarter, a slight diminution is allowed, and I considernecessary. And I think the above remarks will very fully explain_why_ we so insist on the upper table being _never_ on the slab ornear it. 

So we will consider the wood roughened out as I directed, and now Imust get you to follow me closely whilst I arrange the thicknessesso that I get that tone which I have found the fullest, the mostrich in quality, and of the finest carrying power. 

I work at the part of the belly which I call the centre, as it isthe place where the bridge stands and answers to central node, consequently the middle of the whole construction and of the mass ofair: I scrape and level here until I get a fraction, a hair or twoless than one-eighth of an inch thick. This I continue along thebreast until I arrive at both upper and lower nodal crossings, whenI gradually thin off to both ends, the final thickness being at theflat left for the end block when the belly is attached to it, one-thirty-second of an inch less than the centre. And I reduce fromthe centre of the breast to half-way towards all four edges, top andbottom, about as at the centre, barely, and to the edges, till theyregister a fraction thinner than at the upper and lower ends. 

The above, be it understood, is when finally finished and smootheddown. I now show you with the calipers how accurately the workcorresponds with the theory advanced; and on this, my favoured modeof working for the tone so highly spoken of by my numerous admirers, I have no more to say, except to tell you that the wood so finishedcorresponds in tone to D, and you will still remember that the backwas C. 

But other thicknesses than these, both of back and belly, areemployed; such as thinner in back and thicker in belly; and as usedby Joseph Guarnerius del Jesu--the back about such as we have usedin this instrument, but the belly a trifle THINNER in the centrethan at the edges--they being about one-eighth of an inch. And wehave it on record that many of the violins of Stradivari wereoriginally _one thickness_ all over the upper table, barelyone-eighth, and about as I use for the lower; would that we couldspeak with authority on this as on many another point! But manyinstruments have had wood taken from them by vampires and faddists, and we can _not_ speak with authority as to the vital points ofscores of these noble efforts of art, therefore better not lay downlaws or adduce supposed facts regarding them, but do our utmost tobuild up something as noble, and each one of us leave art no worsethan he found it, casting reproach and scorn on the utterlyindifferent, or the detestable pander or the vampire. 

As I have not to recur to the thicknesses again, it may here be aconvenient place in which to say a few words on the nodal points inrelation thereto. 

Many of you may not know what a "node" in music means exactly--someof you may know nothing whatever about it. Simply, it is the fixedpoint of a sonorous chord, at which it divides itself, when itvibrates by aliquot parts, and produces the harmonic sounds. And doyou not see how this struck chord can serve and does serve toillustrate my exposition of the back and belly--more particularlythe latter--in their vibrations and their concentration at upper, middle, and lower nodes? To these places they fly, they cling, singly, thin, and of no character; and from these places they againfly, but united in a strong, sonorous _tone_. How then, think you, will fare those worked out cheeks or attenuated edges, (some ofwhich latter I have seen no thicker than a worn shilling), whenworked hard and in a hot room? Gentlemen, they will sound likesomething between a musette and a Jew's harp, when you are near tothe player; they will not be heard _at all_ some yards away! Yet itis such a tone (!) which many hundreds of old violins possess, andafter which so many million people run. Please note this is entirelywithout prejudice. Every person has a perfect right to use his ownjudgment; and tastes differ. 

CHAPTER IX. THE SOUNDHOLES. 

The next operation on the belly is cutting the _f_ or soundholes, and I need hardly say (for it has been so often said, that surelyyou must all be informed on this point), how the drawing, theplacing, and the cutting of this most crucial test of a man's powersas an artist or workman, determines the extent of one or other, orboth; for a man may be the one, and show himself a blockhead as tothe other. You ask for originality, and you find copy, copy all overthe world; yet you may suddenly pounce on a line or two not seen incombination before, most abominably in juxtaposition to their entireopposites in curve as they are in grace as in character. For exampleor examples, suppose I found, crowning the severe, almost rigidcolumn of the soundhole of Del Jesu, the mobile bend of Stradivari?or, at the turn of the companion lines of Stradivari, the Gothicarch of Del Jesu? with the base of each of a like nature--do youthink I should pass such without a severe growl of condemnation? Andyet I _have_ seen such; and I scarcely expect to go on to the endwithout seeing more of such incongruous monstrosities, but I trustnot from any one who _can_ give one thought to character as appliedto form. 

Fig. 13 is a rough example of the soundhole which I shall presentlystencil on to the belly just ready for it. As you will notice, thesoundhole is cut out of a piece of paper which follows the lines ofone of the lower corners. So, upon the corresponding corner of thewood to be cut, I place this that represents the soundhole, exactly;and I dip a small stiff brush into lampblack, not too wet, ratherdry than otherwise, and I dab on to the belly through the cutimpression of the soundhole--then I reverse the paper, doing exactlythe same at the other side of the wood. Of course, I know beforehandthat the impressions will be anything but perfect, or clear, oralike; but I have a way of making them so in cutting, and you, manyof you, I hope, will soon acquire the same power. The generalfeeling of active form, as I may say, must guide you; because, tohave the stencil plate by your hand as you seek to give vitality tothe dead form impressed on the wood, is one thing, but to copy itslavishly, even though it be your own design, is another. In oneword, you must always _create_, no matter what work you are engagedupon, and, in this case, two as original soundholes as lies in yourpower, and resembling each other as much as you can cut them, but--cut by an artist. 

[Illustration: PLATE XIII. ]

Proceeding to put you in the way of doing this, I bore a small holewith the little piercer tool 0, and, inserting the fine cutter offret saw, tool 69, inside the belly, so that I have the upper sideto the eye, I press the said fine saw into the slot of the screw, and, with spring pliers 51, I fix it for cutting. Then I hold thebelly with the left hand level against the lower part of my breast, and cut out a rough passage round the inner part of the soundhole, never touching the line, though, but leaving that for the knife 8, which follows. 

Where I must especially caution you in the use of this fret saw, isat the upper and lower points which face the holes, as they are soliable to snap there, especially at the lower. Still, with care, youwill manage to do this neatly and safely, as you see I have doneone, and now proceed to work with the knife mentioned. 

This knife, as you see, is very much worn, and is very thin and verysharp. And the two latter characteristics it _must_ possess, as youwill one and all of you find when you come to use such, for, as Icut from the inside, the steel continually cropping up here andthere, in curves and near to corners, I must be prepared at anymoment to work up or down, backwards or forwards, with the grain oragainst it, until I get somewhat of the shape I wish. But not nearlyall I want; so I trim the longer lines until they bend gracefully, ready to fall as does the head of a rocket before it bursts, or givea majestic sweep at the base where they terminate in the spreadwing. The apertures at the summit and base I round carefully off;the cuts at the centre of the figure, as a break, as finish to whatwas unfinished without it, and as a guide to determine the positionof the bridge. 

And you will conclude this finishes the one soundhole; but it doesnot, for after I have dressed down the work on the outside with No. 0 sandpaper, there is not a clean bit about it--not a curve or sweepor any part true; and when I retouch it all over, and damp it allover after doing that, when it dries, there are still bits I don'tlike, and patiently trim it and touch it once or twice again, as Ihave done to many a poem, to be, perhaps, only engraved in water, orice at the best; typical, not only of its reception by the world, but of its ultimate starvation and ignominious effacement by thecoming warmth of an inspiration congenial to all. 

This being at length quite to my mind, I cut its companion as trueto the lines of the other as possible, fig. 14, when I take in handthe placing of the bass bar on the belly, in the rough, preparatoryto toning it down in shape, etc. , when the glue has set hard. 

[Illustration: PLATE XIV. ]

CHAPTER X. THE BASS BAR. 

There are different opinions as to not only the function orfunctions of this bass bar, but as to its length, size in height andbreadth, and the placing of it by the soundhole on the G side of theinstrument. 

As to the former, I think it is pretty well agreed that thebar--only one, please--answers the purpose of a support andvibrator, as opposed to the soundpost, which is of a quite oppositenature, being semi-rigid and a conductor of sound. It is a supportwhere the belly, if too thin, has a tendency to sink; and how oftendo we notice this, aye, and in (market) valuable old violins too!when bars, out of all proportion to the rest of the work, have to beinserted, so as to keep up a dignity of doubtful reputation! I willtry to make this very vital point clear to you. The wood of thisbelly is very thin and very old, consequently, very sensitive andactive, and more responsive than it ought to be to do battleproperly with the mass of air inside, fine, solid tone beingrequired. In a measure to check this over activity and give moreresistance, this heavy bar replaces the old one; but do you not seethat a counter evil results? for the over weight of wood added as abar is not in sympathy with the rest of the thin table; and this, not being strengthened (as against all the canons of order or ofetiquette of the initiated), it still responds as before its oldcompanion was cast aside; and I maintain what is gained in strengthis lost in quality, resulting from a jarring of two rivalconditions. 

As I told you, the tone of the belly was D when I stencilled thesoundholes on to it; when I had cut the soundholes, it came to C;and it must be my business to bring it again to D, as I work only onthese lines, as, if back and belly be of one tone, or too severed, or the latter, say C and the former D, or near to these, there willbe weak and strong tones, beats, and perhaps more than one wolf, andnot a result at all satisfactory. 

Placing the belly face down in the rest before used when hollowingout, I take a strip of old pine (in fact, cut from this bellyitself, when in the rough), eleven inches long, five-sixteenths ofan inch wide, one and one-eighth inches deep. I then roughly planethis on the shooting board (the plane on its side as used forshooting the plates of the belly). 

In fig. 15 you will see that I place the bar at a slight angle, lengthwise, and close to the soundhole; and you will also observethe small squares of pine glued along the joint, so as to givestrength to that joint. And I must tell you to put these squares_cross-wise_ with the grain, as I have seen joints in violins giveway, and the bits prove a mockery, as they were placed _with_ thegrain, or lengthwise--that is to say, they offered no resistancewhen the collapse came, but quickly yielded and split as would havedone a layer of a turnip! Surely, men must be artists indeed, not toforecast such a likelihood arising as this. 

[Illustration: PLATE XV. ]

Continuing _re_ Bar, I work away until I get it to fit absolutely tothe surface to which I have to glue it; when I slightly thin it inwidth from the broad end to the narrow of the violin, as I studyevery possible contingency; and, by not over-weighting the lessersurface for vibration, I give it a freedom otherwise somewhatretarded, even though infinitesimally. And you will wonder why Iplace it so much nearer the broad end than the narrow--against thelaws laid down by the unctuous law-makers of no matter whatnationality? Well, it is because I look upon it as a vibrator and asa _pendulum_; and surely you would never look for the true action ofa pendulum, had it a tendency either to one side or another? No, itmust work truly and have no bias whatsoever. So, I contend, mustthis bar, as a pendulum work clean and truly, taking its centre fromthe cuts in the soundhole, where begins concussion, and the surfaceof the whole body, wood and air alike. Then why do people actcounter to this law, for such it is, and place short bars and longbars, thick and thin, but ignoring this principle for which I sostrongly contend as of the greatest consequence? Let them continueto do so, and go on producing tone so satisfactory to them--Iadvocate an entirely different mode of treatment, as I produce apurity of tone which is a matter of so much comment--and I leave itto your investigation. 

The cutting, shaping, and bringing the belly to the note D, by meansof this, is part of the work to which you will have to devote greatattention: from the shadow thrown by the bar in fig. 15 you willnotice that it is shaped somewhat after a gracefully wrought bow, unbent, and at once makes it apparent that it will be a factor forgood, as many such have I proved to be. 

The reader must not consider the two blemishes on each upper curveof the D as shown on fig. 15, errors in work; they are evidentlythumb marks, and dirty ones, through carelessness of photographer. 

This brings us at length to the end of the construction of back andbelly, both of which we shall leave for the present, whilst weconsider the very essential ribs. 

CHAPTER XI. THE RIBS. 

The thickness, but more especially the depth of these, is of muchconsequence in relation to strength and quality of tone. I havefound a bare sixteenth of an inch answer very well for thickness, and on the model I have worked on before you, in depth one and aquarter of an inch at lower or broad end, gradually narrowing to oneand one-eighth full at the narrow. 

Now, take the thickness for granted; but follow me very closelywhile I describe to you how I arrive at the depth being just what Iwant and sought for to obtain the note B _before_ the soundpost isinserted, when you blow in the _f_, C, _after_ it is fixed. Ofcourse, this is making the scientific part of the work, or one ofthem of no sort of anxiety to you, being already done by me at nolittle trouble and much thought; but, as I set out as a teacher, ifonly of moderate calibre, I shall go through with my endeavour tomake some good workmen out of my listeners and readers, thereforeyou are welcome to what is, I think, of importance, never mindingwhat will be said at the outset, that all this fuss is somewhat ofnonsense, seeing that it was _so_ easy to copy the depth of a rib, and get to what was wanted and avoid it. But I do not like copyingwhere I can help it; besides, what I shall lay before you has themerit of getting at what you want to a nicety, and of finding outwhat depth of rib will suit the model in hand, and obtaining themass of air of which I before spoke. 

On a finished back, just like the one which we have before us, Ifitted a set of ribs about one inch deep to three-quarter inchtaper, and on a similar belly to this, another set of like depth;but I so arranged that those on the back should be one thirty-secondmore _out_ than usual--that is to say, nearer the edges of thewood--and those on the belly one thirty-second more _in_, or awayfrom those edges. Then, after filing and scraping for a long time, I, with no little patience withal, contrived so that I fitted oneset over the other of the ribs, (as a double box) and got a sort offiddle body, clumsy of course, but I saw my way to doing just what Ihad set out to do, and I did it eventually. 

Gradually shallowing the ribs by lowering belly or raising back, Igot various tones or notes for the air mass, trying E, D, C, B, A, but no resonance such as that of B suited me, so I roughly gluedthese ribs firmly together, fitted up the whole thing with everyaccessory such as would allow me to play on the instrument, with thesatisfactory result of proving a case beyond question. 

So I get to the necessary and somewhat difficult process of makingthe ribs, etc. But the mould in which they are to be temporarilyfixed must be first made by you, and this is the way to go about it. 

Get a piece of dry beech--birch or maple of the plain sort willdo--18 inches long, 7 inches broad, and 1-1/2 inches deep. Take thehalf outline of the violin which you have decided to make, and placeit flush with the edge of the above block, equal spaces being leftat either end. Then very firmly and very accurately draw the halfoutline on the block for your mould. After you have done this, youmust trace an _inner_ line all round the other, one-eighth of aninch from the real outline; and, when you get to the corners, carrythis inner line to a broad, open point somewhat beyond the square ofthe corners, as by this you are enabled to pass your ribs a littleover the terminus at said corners, which will most materially assistyou to effect a good joint there. 

After this is well done, and your under surface quite level with theplane, take the block to a good band sawyer, and get him to saw_just through_ the inner line, and you will have your mould in ameasure ready for your ribs. Still, there is something to be donebefore you can set to work to fashion them, and the first is, squareafter the fret saw every quarter inch of its work, with steelsquare, 60, on tool block, your basis being your planed undersurface, as most reliable. 

Then, about one inch from inner mould, and one inch apart all round, drill holes through the wood with tool 56, or similar; and threelarger holes, about seven-eighth inch diameter, one and a quarterinches under the centre of the D or middle bout, the other two somedistance under the two corners. The small holes are for the bentsteel cramps 2 to hold by when the linings are being fixed to theribs, etc. , and the three larger ones to hold down the centre rib inthe same way by means of fitted wood block 33, and for the cornerblocks, when they are fitted properly to the shaped ribs. (Cramp 11is used in these latter cases. )

Having the mould ready, and in good order, prepare your ribs in thismanner:--selecting what is nearest in figure to the back--good, honest wood--dress down both sides of it, the outer to a morefinished surface, of course, and cut them to the dimensionspreviously stated, viz. , one and a quarter inches to one andone-eighth of an inch whole length; but this whole length you willhave to determine by measurement of each separate bout--lower, middle, and upper--which, when done to a nicety, mark on respectivebouts for all future guidance in exact length. 

When finally dressed, cut into lengths, and the ends of the middlerib filed down so as to enable the ends to pass and join upper orlower bout as the case may be, they being filed to fit, put yourheating iron, fig. 5, and another iron to match, so that you willhave a reserve of heat always on hand, into a bright, if possiblesmokeless, fire, and from one to the second of the heaters, get agood hot temperature--not scorching, be sure--and place a piece ofbrown paper over the narrow end of the heated tube. Then hold tool64 in your right hand, middle rib in the left, and, with one end onthe brown paper, the tool on that, very gently, cautiously, and byintuition, as it were, _feel_ your way to a sweet curve of uppercorner, using the broad part of the iron for the lower. Of course, although I have not told you, you will have bent the wood _face tothe mould_ for this centre, as the reverse for the outer, or largerones, naturally. This done to your mind--do not be discouraged whenI say I hope it _may_ be--for you have hot work before you in moreways than one--get to the sharp corner curves of both the otherribs, face against iron afterwards, inside against it. Mind, as isyour true shape to mould, so will your ribs be when it comes to beattached to the back; and there is no patching or trickery allowedhere; so do your best. After this, fix the three sections into themould, and keep them in position by means of cramp 2, and the centreone with block 33, held firmly by cramp 11. 

Your corner blocks must be a trifle broader than the ribs, and aboutas wide as them--also from corner to inner surface, about one and ahalf inches. Cut and fit these nicely for future glueing, and thenprepare and bend your pine for linings. This pine must be aboutfive-sixteenths of an inch broad by about three-thirty-seconds of aninch thick, cut to taper for inner dressing either before or afterfixing to ribs. These are not too easily bent, but not nearly sodifficult as the ribs; but do not put on too much pressure, or snapis the result. 

It will be necessary to see carefully to the gradation of the depthof the ribs from one and a quarter inches to one and one-eighth ofan inch, either when they spring from a whole length or from threeseparate ones. In any case, my advice is to mark the beginning andend of each section from the broad end to the narrow, Nos. 1 to 2, lower; 2 to 3, middle; 3 to 4, upper; so that you cannot well getwrong in bending, from which would spring the first cause of error. 

Having your glue somewhat thin but firm, at the point of setting, glue and clamp well your corner blocks (your mould being in thevice) and after that, remove the fitted wood block over the centrerib (it being now fast at both ends by means of the blocks justglued), and accurately fit the two small linings there, removingeach end of said lining between block and rib, at either end, and, by first forcing half-inch chisel where the lining will have to go, as a sort of slot. This you must also do at the ends of all theother linings. Now glue the two small ones for centre and carefullyfit and force them end by end into slots, finally placing wood block33 over glued linings, and clamp firmly with cramp 11. The otherfour are much easier to fit and fix; small cramp 2 being used; buthere you must always be sure of a perfect fit all over, or you willfind when taken from the mould there will be apertures, Fig. 16. 

[Illustration: PLATE XVI. ]

When dry next day, and before you take from the mould, remove mostof the cramps (one or two being left to keep the work fixed) andvery neatly cut and clean all the work, as shown in figure of openinstrument, and go about it in this manner:--the heavy corner blocksmust be reduced with large gouge, and the linings made to fall awayfrom their _full_ thickness at edge of ribs to fine union with saidribs at the extreme of their (the linings) width. After that, cleanevery atom of superfluous glue away, and finish off with two or eventhree courses of sandpaper, rough to fine. 

Then remove these so far finished ribs, and take the knife 19, beingmade by you exceedingly keen of edge, and square both edges allover, so accurately that, when they are glued later on to the backand belly, they shall fit and well, being jointed so that noaperture whatever is apparent. 

But, you will doubtless murmur, it is all very well to _say_ allthis--please show us how to _do_ it all; for, on the face of it, this is no child's play. And you are right to speak out; for it isone of the most difficult points we have to master, and I fullyintended to make it quite clear before leaving it. 

Hold the rib by left hand firmly to your breast, face side to you. Then take the knife 19, and cut away the superfluous linings andcorner block wood, holding the steel absolutely square with the rib, or you will be all abroad. It is this squareness that is the severetest and your great trouble just now. Try on anything and oneverything before you try it on a rib you may spoil; but _do_ it onsomething or other, and finally you will do it and well on theseribs. 

But, after cutting, you will have still more to do--lay them flatand keep them so and rigid with left hand whilst you, with rasp 47, fine side, level from one end to the other, _not from_ you acrossthe rib, as the other way is safer for keeping square, and obviatesthe risk of tearing away part of a lining or slip from a cornerblock. 

You will have dressed the ribs at the outset as instructed; but youwill now find them anything but fit to attach to the back; so trimand make them free from any blemish or stain of dirt, and then doyour best to fit one side accurately, so that, when gluedafterwards, there may be no discrepancies nor goings back. 

CHAPTER XII. FIXING RIBS, ETC. 

When you have attached the end blocks to the back, just the width ofthe ribs and the margin allowed when rib block was made firmly andwithout cramps, and dressed off next day, fit temporarily the set ofribs just made ready and clamp with the small wooden ones, as shownin fig. 17. You will have made both ends of rib somewhat longer thannecessary, and, as they overlap, from inside mark where the top andbottom of linings are flush against blocks at each end. Then detachthe rib, and cut away the small bit of lining as just marked. Thenfit again, ribs going to end blocks now free, linings _flush_ withend blocks. If not neat in fitting all round, cut the least possiblebit away still from linings, until all be perfect. Then square tothe exact centre of broad end block, and cut it there; the other endis of no moment, as, so long as the rib is flush with the button, and allows the neck to be inserted neatly, all is right. I hope Ihave made all this sufficiently plain to you, as the process is ofimportance. You will gather my meaning best, I think, if you studyfig. 18. 

[Illustration: PLATE XVII. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XVIII. ]

In fitting with glue you will now need some assistance. Damp theside of the back, upon which this first set of ribs has to go, witha sponge wrung out of hot water. Then carefully dab on the rib allover the edge to be glued, when your glue is hot, also at each endwhere it has to join the two end blocks. Then, with loose woodblocks, 66 and 67 to your hand, hold the glued side of the rib overthe under part of your glue pot, and then rapidly get _all the partsglued_ well on to the back and end blocks where they are to be. Thenfix the block 67 at the narrow end, and get your assistant to clampit with tool 11--and the broad end with block 66, going to the smallwood cramps for the rest of the fixing round the half of theinstrument. See fig. 17. 

This does not seem to have a ring of difficulty about it: but it_is_ difficult--hedged around by it, but not, even to a nervousamateur or novice, insurmountable. Do all the work clean as lies inyour power; have everything ready to your hand; act firmly as youcan, and rapidly, whenever you have glueing in hand, and the result, be sure, will be in accordance. The second set of ribs is treated inevery respect as the foregoing. 

Every particle of superfluous glue must now be removed, in and out, and from the inside any ridges round by the ribs, and all smooth, level, and open to inspection now, as in the course of years it isall sure to be; for no instrument is so liable to damage as thefiddle, and _you_ never know into what studio your beloved one maygo, or by whom it will be criticised. And apart from this latterconsideration, pride in your own work and love of truth ought, and Ihope will, actuate to noble effort; but mind, do not overrate whatis done, in your pride of heart, for those into whose hands it willcome later will assuredly not do so. 

When you have cut out the slot at the narrow end into which, later, the neck has to be glued, and made the end blocks level for thebelly to rest perfectly, you have practically finished the body ofthe violin. But I must first tell you how to set about cutting thegroove at the end of the instrument, into which the neck has to beinserted. You will note (fig. 19) outline of scroll and form ofpattern by which you will be guided in cutting groove for neckinsertion. This latter is one and nine-sixteenths of an inchdeep--one and seven-sixteenths of an inch broad, tapering to bareone inch at junction with the button. Place it accurately with theinstrument, mark with sharp tool, then cut out as you see it is doneby me (plate 18). 

[Illustration: PLATE XIX. ]

After this, with brace 29, inserting brace bit 37 at position 28, make a clean cut hole in centre of broad end of violin for the endpin later; and when I have inserted the label, the putting on of thebelly is my next work. 

As many of you doubtless know, I am credited with a fad as regardsthis label business. But I do not see why I should be, seeing thatso many frauds have been perpetrated in relation to old instruments, aye, and to new ones--my own not excepted. If I write with my ownhand all that is written on all labels appearing in my violins, etc. , and choose to give each one a name, and register every one ina book specially prepared for reference in the long future, aconsecutive number being noted in each in private mark, where is thefad? Will it not be utterly impossible under this system to pass offanything spurious? I think so: and am sure the whole world wouldto-day be only too glad if the old masters had been silly (?) enoughto have fads of a similar nature. 

CHAPTER XIII. FIXING THE BELLY. 

The label being fixed with thin glue, and all being in order, seethat your cramps, both of iron and wood, and accessories, are allwell to your hand, for this is a process where quick action isimperative. Your glue must be hot, and about the same consistency aswhen the ribs were fixed; and broad pieces of stiff cork must beprocured, because the pressure of cramp 11 on back and belly at bothends will necessitate these safeguards. 

In the first place, temporarily fix the belly, making as accurate apiece of work of it as you can, exact in overlapping as is the back, if possible. Then get your assistant to clamp it here and there withthe wooden cramps, as fig. 17. Afterwards, pierce each end of bellywith a bit about three-thirty-seconds of an inch, three-eighths ofan inch deep through the table into each end block. Then removecramps, and, into the holes in said table, fix a small pine peg, about as will just drive home when all is fixed and glued. 

Now, wet with a hot sponge all the belly where junction with theribs has to take place, and then dab a nice layer of your hot glueall round the ribs and end blocks, going over it a second timerapidly, and finally holding every part glued for a second over thehot water under your glue pot. It is urgent that the pegs are theninserted into the holes mentioned above, and that you at once forcethem home with the smart blow of a hammer, when your assistantbegins to clamp as you direct; for there may be parts where a littlehumoring of either rib or belly will tax your ingenuity, so as tomake a neat fit. Then, when all are on fairly well, clamp the endswith the iron cramps, having the blocks of cork to intercept, asspoken of above. (See fig. 20). 

[Illustration: PLATE XX. ]

When the glue is dry and hard, on the following day you must cleanall of it away that is showing and superfluous, and use gouges, 52, 54, 22, chisel 21, scrapers 26, 62. Any _cutting_ of the wood isobjectionable; but if there _must_ be a trifle taken away from somepart of the ribs to make a bad fit nearer a good one, then becertain to make all smooth with scraper and sandpaper, over and overagain, or your work will be uneven at the finish; and your varnishis a terrible shower-up of bad work, my masters. 

Following the above is the careful rounding of the edges of underand upper tables with files and glass-paper, as previously shown onthe inner edges of the back and belly. Not too broad must this bedone, or the somewhat sharp edge which you seek (or should seek) tobring neatly along the centre of the edge, as it were, of a smallwave, doubtful whether to curl over on to the body of the violin ornot, will lose much in form, and the grace intended be negative, ifnot utterly lost when under the eye of the connoisseur. 

When this is all done, and the corners left beautifully square, savethat the sharpness of the terminals are just a little rounded off(not the two points--these must not be touched) wet all you havegone over with a sponge, and clean when dry with No. 0 sandpaper, until you are sure your work will do you credit under the varnish, when you arrive at that stage. Before that, however, we have toconsider the cutting of the scroll. 

CHAPTER XIV. THE SCROLL. 

On plate 19 you will find the outline of a scroll I use generally. Iwill employ the original from which this was taken now, and mark ona piece of old sycamore the exact representation of it. 

The thickness of the wood must be one and eleven-sixteenths of aninch, ten inches in length--and broad enough to allow the outline tobe properly cut for further operation. After I get this cut exactlyby a band saw, I place the outline on the wood cut for the scroll, and with a sharp-pointed, hard pencil, prick the holes where thevolute has to come on to the sides, both of them. After that, on theface of the wood--that is to say, the front, as though looking atthe fingerboard, I mark at four-and-a-quarter inches from end of thehead, which is to be the end of peg-box, and three inches from that, the narrow end of said box that is to be cut. Then I take centre ofnarrow end and mark off seven-sixteenths of an inch--width of saidend, five-eighths of an inch for broad end. Then at five andfive-eighths of an inch from broad end of peg-box, I take centre ofextreme end of wood, here to be one and three-eighths of an inchwhen ready for the fingerboard afterwards, and I divide it, making adistinctive mark as to breadth and centre. Then, allowing fullthree-sixteenths of an inch for cheeks of peg-box, I draw two lines, one on either side of centre line, from end of wood to head, so thatI just shall catch outer side of each cheek of peg-box that is tobe, and which, running on to where crosses the nose of the scroll, gives a width there of bare nine-sixteenths of an inch. Afterwards Imark the three-sixteenths for cheeks of peg-box. 

This is all I can mark at present, until I cut with the saw and withthe chisels, as shown (figs. 21 and 22), I can now trace lines readyfor manipulation of the volutes and the fluting. That of the volutesis my first business. The lines denoting the ascending spirals, andthe pencil dots not yet touched, are my guides, and, with small handsaw, No. 30, I cut very carefully, by a dot at a time just lowenough to touch the spiral line at its junction, cutting the bitaway sideways, of course, just by the said line, and then a smallpiece more, until I arrive at the end of where the spiral ceases, atits base; but now that the volute is developing, I am enabled tocomplete the line, which brings the whole to its actual junctionwith the mainspring of conception. This, in a very great state ofroughness, I show at an angle (fig. 23), and I reverse the sides, cutting the other in the same manner. It is necessary to have thewood firmly cramped to the bench on all occasions. 

[Illustration: PLATE XXI. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XXII. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XXIII. ]

I now select gouges 57, 24, 22, 43, 39, 50, and I carefully trimboth spirals, gauging the front and rear levels as I proceed byone-eighth of an inch at a time, until I can find no fault, allbeing square to the eye (for by nothing else can you prove your workhere) when I prepare to cut the trench which was only wanted tosoften off this essential to beauty. 

Here I use all the gouges marked above; and in doing so I have to bemost careful not to FORCE any one part; for such is the brittlenature of the wood (sycamore) that the delicate edges, as theslender spiral ascends under your, perhaps, too eager hand, may notbe able to bear the strain put upon them, and a breach stares you inthe face, past remedy, save by an accomplished master of his art. 

The next step is to soften the work done, and to smooth down withrough to fine glass-paper, wetting every part after each course. Then I cut off all the sharp _outer_ edges, from the terminal of theback part of the whole to the top of each volute, this cutting to bea good one-sixteenth of an inch broad, neatly filing andsandpapering the same when done. The outer edge of the peg-box isdone in like manner. 

Fixing the wood now, face downwards on the bench, I begin thecutting of the fluting at the upper part, using gouges 57, 24, 22, just in the order in which I write them, obviously the terminal partbeing that which needs most attention and care. Reversing the wood, I cut down by the nose of the head to the broad grooves which soonappear, terminating just over the narrow end of peg-box. All shouldbe done neatly, --in a masterly manner were better--I file andsandpaper over and over again until I get to my mind what nowappears in plates 24 and 25, and you will see the neck end isfinished, ready for insertion in the mortice, which is done laterwhen the fingerboard is added. 

[Illustration: PLATE XXIV. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XXV. ]

CHAPTER XV. FIXING NECK, FINGERBOARD, ETC. 

As this neck and mortice business is very difficult of manipulation, I will direct you how to cut the end of neck so that a perfect fitmay be obtained in the body of violin where was cut the morticepreviously, fig. 19, into which said neck has to be inserted. To theexact outline of this I now cut the neck end, one and three-eighthsof an inch broad at top, one and three-sixteenths of an inch atbottom, and one and nine-sixteenths of an inch deep. I cut on anangle, so as to get the elevation required for correct height ofbridge. And then, all being square, I slope to the end which isultimately to be joined to the button. You will gather all this fromplates of scroll. 

To obtain the peg holes, I mark at certain distances a guidingpoint, through which, at one side E and A, and on the other G and D, I bore preliminary holes with hand bit No. 12 (on tool plate), square, absolutely, through to the other cheek of peg-box. After allare done, in brace bit 29, position 28, I place taper bit 59, andcut, E, A, D, G, finishing approximately for pegs with tool 15. 

[Illustration: PLATE XXVI. ]

Then, before I fix the neck into the violin, I attach thefingerboard and nut--the latter in rough ebony, as I always workthis neater with some wood over and above what I want. Thisfingerboard must be perfect in fit, put on with very hot, thin glue, and well cramped with three No. 11 cramps, having wood guard 31 overfingerboard for protection. When set and hard next day, I preparethe end incision for the neck to enter, and proper elevation of theebony, so that the correct angle for a bridge of fair average heightmay be obtained. I give you what is a fair average height--one andthree-eighths of an inch; but there is no absolute _rule_ as tothis. What is here given is that which will suit the instrument justmade, as I know by many constructed on similar lines. This height isgot when the bridge is held down by the strings, and the measurementis from belly to middle of the arch of the bridge. 

Your fingerboard must be at such an angle when the neck is fixed, that the end of it near bridge must measure exactly thirteen-sixteenthsof an inch from belly to top of ebony; by this means your bridge, asdescribed, will be just a nice height for clean fingering of thestrings. 

This brings me to fixing the neck, and I do it thus:--In the firstplace, I have to remember that the length from nut on thefingerboard, inner side, to the bridge, must be, when all isfinished, thirteen inches exactly, and the angle as above. So I haveto be _very_ careful that too much is not taken out of the slot Ihave to finish, either in width or inner recess, as that, one or theother, would necessitate lowering the neck end, which is not what Iwant to do. First the knife, then the files (coarse ones), and, little by little, I get nearer and nearer to a fit, when I try angleand the straightness of the whole with the fiddle, using compassesto measure from inner point of purfling, upper corner, to corner offingerboard on corresponding side, with their exact counterparts onthe other; and testing height of fingerboard from belly. This isvery weary work, and _must_ be quite correctly done, or--well youwill either hear of it again in words, or _see_ your failure in thesweet smile which is more detestable than the severest frown. 

But all is at length right; the neck is forced home, and I markround the button, on to the superfluous wood of neck, its curve, sothat I may not cut beyond when I thin the neck to its proper andfinal shape and thickness. 

Many of you will, doubtless, be players of the fiddle, and to such, good, bad or indifferent, I need hardly say how much the dispositionand general character of the neck of your instrument influences yourperformance on it. It is obviously quite impossible to lay down anyrule or law, as to depth, width, or the curve at the end terminatingat the button, for some will have this latter thin and abrupt, others less so, whilst a few insist on its being thick. 

If people only knew how much the strength of the neck has to do withthe tone of the instrument, they would leave to the maker or expertto determine what was best for it, either in the original making ofthe violin or in placing a new neck in an old one. But it is_convenience_--what we like and what we _will have_; so, inconsequence, suffers the tone of the instrument. 

You have a violin thick in wood: if I find on it a neck also heavyin material, to a certainty I have to register thin, woody tone;whereas, given a thinner neck there would be more vibration in it, and an undoubted impetus would be given to the somewhat inert bodyof the violin--its heavy timber being too much for the mass of air, which acts its part in that it moves in response to compulsion, butfails, in producing so feeble an agitation of the whole wood. 

But, on the other hand, I find a thin neck attached to a thin body, and I also find a whole pack of wolves, hollow, rasping tone, anddifficult of production--in fact, a wretched fiddle. 

Then, as to width of fingerboard--a narrow one is often clung to as"so nice and handy, " etc. , but it is forgotten that the strings inconsequence have to be brought closer together than clean fingeringrequires; and, moreover, the E string must, of necessity, be broughttoo near the edge of the ebony for firm stopping; so I have nosympathy whatever with a narrow or too thin fingerboard and neck. 

But I have to work away at the rough neck after having traced theoutline of the button upon the under end of it--not the _actual_shape of this necessity, but such as will serve as a guide to one ofmore grace. Added to that, I roughly mark the shape and thickness ofthe wood up to which I have to cut away, to insure nice handling. Tothis line I cut with bow saw 68; and I then use all the knives Ihave, and many files--rasps in the early stages--until I get to the_shape_ I want, after which I wet with a sponge, renewing the workwhen dry with finer files and glass-paper, No. 1-1/2, making asecond stage, then wet again, to two more stages, when all _should_be very clean and nice. Of course, I round the fingerboard's edgessomewhat, and clean on each occasion of wetting. When finished, theneck should measure round thick end (one and a half inches fromextreme end of wood), three and a half inches; and round thin end(one inch from peg-box) three inches. This finishes the neck, whichis now ready for insertion in the violin. 

I have, above, treated of this: I now do it actually. I have woodguard 31 ready for protection of fingerboard, and 32, for the back, and one of No. 11 cramps. I dab the neck and the cutting with hotstrong glue, and gently work them together, until the glue oozes outat all points, when I put on the wood guards and clamp hard. Then Iwash the superfluous glue away with a sponge wrung out of hot water, after I have tested whether I have got in the neck straight and atits correct angle. (See fig. 27. )

[Illustration: PLATE XXVII. ]

But there is the neat finishing off of the neck and button, which Iattend to carefully, when all is set hard on the following day, paying much heed to grace and _character_ here, as it is a part ofthe fiddle which cries out at once if slovenly, or ungainly, or the_least bit_ out of line or centre. 

And I fashion the nut over which the tail-piece gut has to stretch, and cut the bed into which it is glued. Then I very carefully washthe violin all over with a clean sponge wrung out of _warm_ water, giving it plenty of time to dry before I finally clean every partthoroughly with No. 0 glass-paper--and the violin is finished in thewhite. 

[Illustration: PLATE XXVIII. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XXIX. ]

[Illustration: PLATE XXX. ]

CHAPTER XVI. OF VARNISH AND VARNISHING. 

To write an exhaustive essay on this most absorbing subject beforeus, to go into any manner of detail at all in the present work, isnot my intention. It is far too wide, too subtle, and, in myopinion, is an art of itself, requiring not only great space inwhich to voice its merits, its component parts, and the thousand andone compounds in which those parts assimilate, but the calm of thestudy rather than the bustle of the workshop, given out deliberatelyby him whose conclusions are based on the sound issues arising frommomentous research, careful analysis of former old examples, and anutter abhorrence of prejudice, for or against this or that compoundor colour--prejudice, mind, actuating choice. 

But in continuation, though somewhat in parenthesis, a choice basedon determined observation of a matter is quite another thing; and Itell you at once my experience as between spirit and oil varnishcondemns the former, whilst it very strongly advocates the latter;and when one considers that it is in the nature of oil to assimilatewith wood, and to throw up its beauties, and whilst a mellownessclings to the very name, the reverse on all points being the casewith spirit, the surprise is that varnish other than of oil shouldbe tolerated. 

Besides, see the difference in wear. Use a violin coated withspirit, and if the friction from its employment be severe, you havecracks, pieces chipping here and there, the instrument getting barerand barer daily, so that in time little of it, the varnish, is left. But it is not so with oil; the wear _is_ wear, not in chips, but ingradual diminishing of its substance, always a something being left;added to which a beauty springs from such, in that softer gradationsof colour radiate and form a greater _depth_, from the fact of suchcolour or colours being more readily absorbed. 

Again, in their relations to Tone, I place the oil varnishes first;and I think the point is pretty generally conceded, for what is onthe face _power_, which some attribute to the brittle, assertivenature of the gums hardened by alcohol, is not in reality such, butoften aggressive noise, losing itself the more you retreat from it, leaving real tone little to say for itself. 

But coat the violin with oil; you certainly cannot complain of loud, rasping responses to the call of the bow, whilst you _can_ make someassertion as to quality. And, remember, as the soft nature of theoil assumes a harder tendency day by day, so will increase thesonority of the tones, whilst retaining the beauty of character withwhich they began. Therefore, I shall draw your attention to the useof oil varnish, utterly discarding that of spirit. 

But to _what_ oil varnish is not my present purpose; why should Iseek to close the door on research and on experiment? It is for you, students, to take home, each one of you, the lesson of the mightyfailure of thousands gone before you, in inability to bring to afinish that upon which they have spent so many anxious hours, and dosomething different and better. It is my intention to teach you, step by step, how to lay on what you prepare for the brush: but_not_ to say "get this or that oil, " or "this or that colour, "except in the abstract--red, orange, amber, yellow, etc. , etc. , being names only. 

I say this at once so that there may be no mistake--so that none cansay _I_ use this or that: my own varnish and colouring _are_ my ownsolely, and I reserve the secret for the benefit of my family, should it prove of value after my career be ended. 

Fashion a piece of wood so that it fits easily into the hole at theend of the violin in which, later, the end pin is inserted. It musthave a rough sort of handle, because by it you will hold theinstrument when you have occasion otherwise than by the neck; foryou must on no account touch the wood before you varnish, norafterwards, with your hands, nor must you allow others to do so, when, in your pardonable pride of heart, you show your creation toyour friends. 

With a clean sponge, wrung out of tepid water, and a camel-hairbrush for parts where the sponge will not be of service, go all overyour violin, but do not wet it heavily--far from it; and when quitedry, on the slightly roughened surface thus left, place a yellow oramber coating of turpentine, thoroughly mixing with it a little ofthe oil varnish selected by you along with your colouring matter asyou arrange, yellow or amber. To do this well, and for future use, you must have half to one inch flat camel-hair and fine hog-hairbrushes. A round hog-hair brush, medium size, is good for thisinitial coating (some call it sizing; but I think this ismisleading--"size" being generally understood to bear reference toglue, and we want none of _that_ under varnish. )

This should be dry in about two or three days, when you may lay on asecond course, less turpentine and rather more varnish; also lessyellow and a _very_ little red. This will take somewhat longer todry, and please observe that the more varnish (if it be oil and gum, pure and simple) so much longer it will be in drying; and, as youadvance to the final stage, you will gradually discard theturpentine altogether, as you will the yellow, colouring at lastwith red only. 

As you advance step by step, and before you venture on anotherlayer, with the tip of your finger test the varnish, and if there bethe _least tackiness_, wait a day or two until all be dry. And as aroughness is bound to show itself as stage after stage is passed, itis well to smooth down each course when dry with fine No. 0glass-paper upon which is first spread a _drop_ of pure Lucca oil, which, of course, must be lightly applied to the body of varnish, and the whole carefully wiped with clean linen or silk handkerchiefafterwards. 

Now, after the first two coats, you must use about a three-quarterinch fine hog-hair brush (not many hairs in, mind) and for the latercoats one with camel hair. Sit on a low chair, have the light toyour right hand, the varnish before you handy, not too high. Theviolin is held by neck, left hand of course; the stick at the broadend through the hole where comes later the end pin (see above) restson your right leg as you sit. Get a fair dip of varnish in yourbrush, but NEVER flood it; and beginning carefully under thefingerboard, first one side, then the other, working the top sidesof the instrument also alternately, until the soundholes be reached, when inside these cuts must be neatly coloured, after which you justtip your brush with the varnish, neatly continuing where you leaveoff, so that none can see a break in your progress. This adviceapplies until ribs and scroll be all done after the belly and theback. I have ever found the upper table the most exacting anddifficult; but, once again, _never flood your brush_, and you willvarnish sooner or later. But never _hurry_: and this advice appliesto every thing you do in the construction of the violin. Patience ofno ordinary character you must exercise; if you have it not it willcome to you, but through experience alone, through failures, throughcatastrophes innumerable. But what then? These things that havemastered you stand mastered in turn in the excellent result ofto-day, so let yesterday go to the wall. 

Now that we can consider the operation of varnishing at an end, theinstrument is hung on a wire, free to the warm dry air of a room orto a passage where a current of it is circulating. When hard (andthere is no actual time to gauge this by) prepare to finish off andrub down the whole; and care must be observed that no scratchappears, for a surface looks bad, very bad, with anything of thissort to mar its beauty. 

The first essential in this process is pure Lucca oil, which doesnot clagg; and the next, specially prepared pumice stone powder, which _must_ be as fine as flour; and should there be any doubtabout its being absolutely free from specks of grit, filter itthrough fine muslin or silk, and only use that which passes through, in water. 

Then take some brown paper and make a pad, rubbing on oil and asprinkling of the pumice stone powder, when you can go over portionsof the back, very lightly feeling your way to see whether all workssmoothly and no scratch in the operation. If this be so, continue onthese lines, sparingly adding more powder, but freely using the oil. You can, to smooth off, use saturated rag (oiled) and after that, adry pad of very fine muslin or silk. 

The belly is tedious, more so than the back, and the ribs still moreso. Contrivances to get into corners and curves of the latter, youwill have to resort to, such as small pieces of paper, and pumicestone and oil, and oiled fine glass-paper, and finely rubbed piecesof curved wood, with which you can operate to smooth near edges ofribs, etc. 

All _can_ be done well, all _must_ be done well; for, remember, there is to be no French rubbish (polish, I mean), on the top ofthis oil varnish, but your hand must finally bring up its lustre, asI can show you mine has so frequently brought to a rich glow thatpreparation made and used by me, on my own work only. 

CHAPTER XVII. FITTING UP FOR USE. 

This last of many complicated and difficult stages must be enteredupon with a will, and great attention paid to all details. Thefittings used must be of the best, and the strings rough Roman, andmust be tested to see if they vibrate truly. This is done bytwanging, so that _two distinct outlines_ are shown; if any dimnessappear, or the lines wobble, as I may say, try again, for such arefalse. Not always, though; for I _have_ known this rule (for it _is_a rule) falsified, and a good string _appear_ untrue by test, and_vice versa_. 

Take the Rimer, 15, and work out the peg-holes nicely; then fitebony or rosewood pegs as you fancy, cutting off the superfluouspieces which obtrude on the off-side of peg-box. Apply a little soapand chalk to ensure close working when tuning. 

Then on the nut, cut the narrow channels over which the strings haveto pass to the fingerboard. A nice discrimination must be observedhere as to the width from E to A to D to G. There can be no rulelaid down, because some players will have them nearer together thanothers, and must, if for double stopping, they having narrowfingers; and on the contrary, wider apart, if for broader endedfingers. What I find a nice medium is seven-thirty-seconds of aninch from the bottom of one slot to another. Take the compass anddivide to seven-thirty-seconds of an inch and press one point at G, D, A, E, allowing a fair margin at both sides of the ebony, notabove, say one-eighth of an inch good. Then use either of the rattail files, 27, and carefully file to depths required, which must beso as to allow a playing card to slip comfortably under the E stringwhen taut, a little more space for the other three being necessary, especially the G. Rub a black lead pencil through the cuts, and workthem very smooth with a thin, round piece of steel, which makes allthe strings much easier to slide afterwards and minimises breakage. 

The nut must then be filed and sandpapered nicely down to the cuts, so as to leave only a shallow passage, as one too deep retards freeaction of the string and somewhat of vibration, besides making thefingering less satisfactory. The ends or sides must be madebeautifully even with the neck and rounded and papered off so thatnot an atom of friction worries the player, who has often worryenough in all conscience in the work of correct manipulation beforehim, without the hindrance of bad work on his instrument. 

Then we come to the bridge--with two feet, not more my friends; thedear old fiddle has managed these three or four hundred years tocrawl along _very_ respectably as a biped: _I_ shall have nothingwhatever to do with turning him into a quadruped, be assured. 

The importance of the quality and of the correct height, thickness, etc. , etc. , of this most essential adjunct, cannot be too seriouslyimpressed upon all who seek to get from the violin they are fittingup the strongest and the best quality of tone possible; and, unlessthe clever amateur be sufficiently so to do it as it should be andcan be done by an expert, my advice to him is, do not attempt it asa work of finality--_try_ to do it properly and persevere, and Iwill help you. But do not show me with pride work to which attachesnothing but condemnation; too thick at top and bottom--feet clumsyto a degree--too high or too low--badly arranged for clean bowing onseparate strings, and too deep or too shallow in the cuts for them. What does it matter to me if only a few or but one of these faultsbe apparent? the bridge is not perfect, and perfect it must be made, so I proceed to the consideration of the work to be done to make itso. 

Select a fine, strong, light bridge by either Aubert or Panpi--theformer by preference. In using the names of these deservedly popularmakers, I mean, of course, either _Aubert_ or _Panpi_, and thebridges wrought in their workshops, not the nasty imitations we arecompelled to see sometimes, but which, rather than use, we would goa day's journey to avoid. 

Pare the feet down to about one thirty-second of an inch (this whenfitted finally) and proceed to make as accurate a union of thesefeet with the belly as you can, as it is most important that suchshould be the case. Then measure the height of this bridge, frombelly to its top at centre, as one and five-sixteenths of an inch, nicely curving it so that ease of bowing is obtained, as spoken ofbefore. This curvature should be unequal in height--or, rather, toexpress it better, the height on the G side should be so that, atthe broad end of the fingerboard, the space _between_ the ebony andthe string will be a quarter of an inch, reducing as we get to theE, which registers about one-sixteenth of an inch less, orthree-sixteenths of an inch. This is a guide, and a good mean towork on, but not a rule, as some people cannot play except thestrings are near to the board, others just the reverse. 

As to the distance between the strings, where they pass over thebridge, this is also a point somewhat of controversy, and applies, as do my remarks in reference to the fingerboard nut--there is norule; but a very useful mean distance is seven-sixteenths of aninch. When you have got the angle correct, mark with the compasseswhere the incisions are to be made with tool 27 round, rat tailfile, and work the cuts accordingly, about as deep as the file whereit tapers one-third from its point. 

Then reduce the bridge in thickness from its feet upwards--verysparingly at these feet, but tapering to pretty thin at the top, saya bare sixteenth of an inch. The reduction must be made by rubbingon sandpaper, and a clean, straight tapering effected, as a bridge, where you can discern a round-backed slope, is bad--looks so and is. When fitted and completed, the bridge must be as near perpendicularas possible; if there be any inclination, it must tend to thetailpiece, and _very_ slightly, thus checking the certain tendencyof the strings to pull it forward, which must be always closelywatched, as if it fall on the belly of the violin, it is most liableto break--not only so, but to crack that same soundboard. The outeredges may be either filed to an angle of one-sixteenth of an inchbare, or neatly rounded. 

The soundpost must engage your closest attention, and must be of oldSwiss pine. There is, again, no rule as to thickness--some violinsdo best with a thick, others with medium to thin post. I only tellyou for guidance, a medium to thin is mostly used by me. It must beevenly rounded, and both ends filed so that the angles of back andbelly may fit exactly when it is placed inside. To get the _exact_length is not an easy matter; but you will find this hint useful:with a thin piece of wood gauge the depth through the upper hole ofthe soundhole from the back to the _outer_ surface of the belly, andyour post will have to be a trifle longer than this, _minus_ thethickness of the belly. Then take a soundpost setter and fix thepointed end into the wood, sloping sides towards you, of course, anddo your best to place this most exacting, but most necessaryadjunct, just behind the centre of the foot of the bridge on the Eside--the distance of about a good sixteenth of an inch behind theside next to the tail piece. When fitted, it must be neither slacknor tight, but between the two. 

Of course, this operation will be, to the novice, a horrible job: hewill fume and he will perspire, and, I fear, he will use stronglanguage--none of which will help him, but on the contrary, willretard progress. The thing has to be done, and done well; and itwould be much better if the amateur _cannot_ do it ultimately, topay an expert for timely instruction. 

Then fit the end pin, but, before doing so, look through the hole inwhich it has to go and ascertain if the post inside bestraight--which is very necessary to the good ordering of pure tone. Regulate with the broad end of the setter, and draw or push throughthe soundhole on either side, as may be necessary. 

And when you have nicely gauged and secured by single knobs thetail-gut to the tailpiece, the instrument is finished excepting theneck, the polishing of which we will now consider. 

With constant handling you will find this neck dirty and greasy. Wash it well with a sponge, and when dry, colour with a yellow wateror spirit wash. Do not sandpaper at all yet; but make a niceorange-coloured spirit varnish, and place neatly over the yellowthree or four coats. When thoroughly hard, clean it down with No. 0sandpaper soaked in Lucca oil, smooth, and ready for the hand. 

CHAPTER XVIII. CONCLUSION. 

Then, my friends, reward your many anxious moments of thought andwork--string your fiddle, for, be assured, you _will_ be rewarded, be your instrument somewhat crude in tone; and he is of a miserablycold, prosaic temperament indeed, who does not warm up at thisjuncture--this climax, this crisis. It may be the tone is good, verygood; with what pride it is shown and tried; should it be mediocre, or even poor, a certain amount of pride is excusable, and faults arecondoned. 

Should there be faults that a touch of the soundpost may minimise, gently touch it, moving it hither and thither, until it meets with adesired response. Or your strings may be too thick or too thin; allmay be of no avail, however, so work the fiddle for six months, andnote if it shows signs of improvement; if not, look well to yourconstruction next time, and build for posterity on early _failures_, on disappointments after long study and careful manipulation, orresolve to be master, after hearing your praiseworthy devotionrewarded by the empty sneers of those who, maybe, care nothingwhatever whether you do ill or well, but only that they have thechance of showing their superior wisdom and making stagnant thatwhich, given warm encouragement, would have flowed on until thefuture would proudly record the noble work of real genius. 

THE END. 

NOTE. --The writer wishes gratefully to record the very ableassistance given by Mr. Barrett, of 131, Oxford Road, Manchester, inhis most careful rendering of the various stages of the foregoingwork in photography, from which blocks have been made. 

ADVERTISEMENTS. 

TWENTIETH YEAR OF ISSUE. 

_The Largest Circulation in the World of any paper amongstViolinists. _

THE STRAD

_A Monthly Journal for Professionals and Amateurs of all StringedInstruments played with the Bow_. 

Published on the First of every Month. Price 2d. Annual Subscription, Post Free, 2s. 6d. Foreign Subscription, Post Free, 3s. 

THE STRAD is the only recognised organ of the string family and hassubscribers in every country of the civilised world. Our circulationhas increased to so great an extent that we are enabled to engage ascontributors

THE LEADING WRITERS in the VIOLIN WORLD. 

THE STRAD contains technical articles by the leading artists. 

THE STRAD, in the answers to Correspondents column, gives minuteinformation by Experts on every detail connected with the Violin. 

THE STRAD gives all the important doings of Violinists at home andabroad all the year round. 

THE STRAD gives early critical notices of all important New Musicfor Stringed Instruments with numbers to show the grade ofdifficulty of every piece. 

THE STRAD gives every month beautifully-executed Portraits, on fineart paper, of leading celebrities in the Violin world, together withbiographical sketches. 

Specimen Copy. 2-1/2d. , Post Free. 

All Subscriptions, Advertisements, etc. , to be addressed to theManager, HARRY LAVENDER, 3, Green Terrace, Rosebery Avenue, London, E. C. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. I. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

_"THE STRAD" LIBRARY EDITION is the only Authorised Edition of_

Technics of Violin PlayingONJOACHIM'S METHODBYCARL COURVOISIER, With Folding Plates, containing Fifteen Illustrations. 

LETTER FROM DR. JOACHIM. [COPY. ]

MY DEAR MR. COURVOISIER: I have read the book on Violin Playing youhave sent me, and have to congratulate you sincerely on the mannerin which you have performed a most difficult task, _i. E. _, todescribe the best way of arriving at a correct manner of playing theviolin. 

It cannot but be welcome to thoughtful teachers, who reflect on themethod of our art, and I hope that your work will prove useful tomany students. 

Believe me, my dear Mr. Courvoisier, to be most faithfully yours, JOSEPH JOACHIM. Berlin, November 3rd, 1894. 

The New and Revised Edition of "Technics of Violin Playing, " issuedby THE STRAD, is the only authorised edition of my work. The severalEnglish Editions which have all appeared without my knowledge are_incomplete_ and _faulty_. 

CARL COURVOISIER. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. II. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

HOW TO STUDY THE VIOLINBy J. T. CARRODUS. 

CONTENTS. 

Strings and Tuning. The Bow and Bowing. Faults and their Correction. Scales and their Importance. Course of Study. Advice on ElementaryMatters. Concerning Harmonics, Octaves, etc. Orchestral Playing. Some Experiences as a Soloist. With full page portraits of Carrodus, Molique, Paganini, Spohr, Sivori, De Beriot, Blagrove and Sainton, and a photo-reproduction of Dr. Spohr's testimonial to Carrodus. 

"An interesting series of articles 'How to Study the Violin, ' whichCarrodus contributed to THE STRAD, and completed only a week or twobefore his death, have now been collected in cheap book form. Thetechnical hints to violin students, which are practical, plainlyworded, and from such a pen most valuable. "--_Daily News_. 

"But a few weeks before his sudden death the most distinguished ofnative violinists completed in THE STRAD a series of chats tostudents of the instrument associated with his name. These chats arenow re-issued, with a sympathetic preface and instructiveannotations. All who care to listen to what were virtually the lastwords of such a conscientious teacher will recognise the pains takenby Carrodus to render every detail as clear to the novice as to theadvanced pupil. Pleasant gossip concerning provincial festivals atwhich Carrodus was for many years 'leader' of the orchestra, ends alittle volume worthy a place in musical libraries both for itspractical value and as a memento of the life-work of an artistuniversally esteemed. "--_Daily Chronicle_. 

"It is surely, hardly necessary to direct the attention of studentsto the unique value of the hints and advice given by so experiencedand accomplished a virtuoso as the late Mr. Carrodus, so that itonly remains to state that the 'Recollections' make delightfulreading, and that the book, as a whole, is as entertaining as it isinstructive. The value of the _brochure_ is enhanced by an excellentportrait of Mr. Carrodus, as well as of a number of other violinworthies, and the printing, paper, and get up generally are good ascould possibly be. "--_Musical Answers_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. III. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth 2/6, Post Free 2/9. _

THE BOWIts History, Manufacture and UseBYHENRY SAINT-GEORGE. With Full Page Illustrations (exact size) by Photo Process. 

MONS. EMILE SAURET writes--"I have read it with great interest, andthink that it supplies a real want in giving musicians such anexcellent description of all matters referring to this importantinstrument. "

SIGNOR GUIDO PAPINI writes--"Thanks so much for your splendid andinteresting book. You are quite successful and all the artists andamateurs are indebted to you for a so exact and correct a '_Texte_'on the subject. "

ADOLF BRODSKY writes--"I am delighted with the book and find it veryinstructive, even for those who think to know everything about thebow. It is very original and at times very amusing. No violinistshould miss the opportunity to buy it. "

THE TIMES. --"A useful treatise on the Bow, in which the history, manufacture and use of the bow are discussed with considerabletechnical knowledge. "

DAILY TELEGRAPH. --"To the student there is much of interest in thework, which has the advantage of being copiously illustrated. "

DAILY NEWS. --"This book seems practically to exhaust its subject. "

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. IV. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 5/-, Post Free, 5/4. _

CELEBRATED VIOLINISTS: PAST AND PRESENT, _Translated from the German of_A. EHRLICH, _And Edited with Notes and Additions by_ROBIN H. LEGGE. _WITH EIGHTY-NINE PORTRAITS_. 

PRESS NOTICES. 

"Those who love their fiddles better than their fellows, and whotreasure up every detail that can be found and recorded about theirfavourite and cherished players, will not fail to provide themselveswith a copy of this book. "--_Musical Opinion_. 

"This book of 280 pages is a most interesting and valuable additionto the violinist's library. It contains 89 biographical sketches ofwell-known artists, ancient and modern, of all nations. This is notintended to be a perfect dictionary of violinists; the aim of theEditor of the present volume being merely to give a few moreup-to-date details concerning some of the greatest of stringedinstrument players, and we must concede that no name of the firstimportance has been omitted. Germany is represented by 21 names, Italy by 13, France by 10, England by 4, Bohemia by 8, Belgium by 7, and the fair sex by seven well-known ladies, such as Teresina Tua, Therése and Marie Milanollo, Lady Hallé, Marie Soldat, GabrielleWietrowetz, and Arma Senkrah. Altogether this is most agreeablereading to the numerous army of violinists, both professionals andamateurs, and after careful examination we can find nothing butpraise for this translation into English of a book well known on theContinent. "--_The Piano, Organ and Music Trades Journal_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. V. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

TECHNICS OF VIOLONCELLO PLAYINGBYE. VAN DER STRAETEN. COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED. 

_Copy of Letter received by the Author from the great 'cellist, SIGNOR ALFRED PIATTI. _

Cadenabbia, Lake of Como, March 9th, 1898. 

DEAR SIR, --I received the book you kindly sent me on "The Technicsof Violoncello Playing, " which I found excellent, particularly forbeginners, which naturally was your scope. With many thanks forkindly remembering an old ex-violoncello player. 

Believe me, yours sincerely, ALFRED PIATTI. 

_Copy of Letter received by the Author from the eminent 'cellist, HERR DAVID POPPER. _

Budapest, February 22nd, 1898. 

DEAR SIR, --In sending me your book on "The Technics of VioloncelloPlaying" you have given me a real and true pleasure. I know of nowork, tutors and studies not excepted, which presents so muchvaluable material, so much that is absolutely to the point, avoiding--I might say, on principle--all that is superfluous anddispensable. Every earnest thinking violoncello student will infuture make your book his own and thereby receive hints which willfurther and complete the instructions of his master. 

I congratulate you and ourselves most heartily on the newvioloncello book. With kind regards, Yours most sincerely, DAVID POPPER. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. VI. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free 2/9. _

VIOLIN PLAYINGBYJOHN DUNN. 

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY--Qualities indispensable to the ideal Violinist--Hintson the Choice of a Teacher--Some Tricks of pretending professorsexposed. 

ON THE CHOICE OF A VIOLIN AND BOW--Advice regarding generaladjustment and repairs. 

ON THE CHOICE OF STRINGS--Stringing the Instrument and keeping thePegs in Order. 

ON THE GENERAL POSTURE--The manner of holding the Violin and Bow asaccepted by the leading artists of the day. 

ON FINGERING GENERALLY--The various positions--Scalesrecommended--The Modern Orchestral "Principal" or (so-called)Leader. 

ON GLIDING--Special Characteristics of some of the most EminentPlayers. 

DOUBLE STOPPING--The main difficulty in Double Stopping--How to gainIndependence of Finger. 

BOWINGS--Smooth Bowings--Solid Staccato--Spiccato--Spring Bow--MixedBowings. 

TONE PRODUCTION--Character of Tone--Rules and Conditions necessaryto produce a good tone--Style and Expression. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. VII. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

Chats to 'Cello StudentsBYARTHUR BROADLEY. 

"Musicians, devotees of the 'cello in particular, will welcome thelatest volume of 'THE STRAD' Library, 'Chats to 'Cello Students, ' byArthur Broadley.... Mr. Broadley not only knows what he is talkingabout, but has practised what he says. From the choice of aninstrument to finished delivery and orchestral playing, 'Chats to'Cello Students' leaves nothing undiscussed. The treatment is simpleand practical. The exhaustive chapter on 'bowing' should be aninvaluable aid to students. In the last chapter of his book, 'OnDelivery and Style' Mr. Broadley has given a lucid expression to asubject which has sadly needed voicing. "--_The Tribune, Nuneaton_. 

"Is a brightly written little volume filled with practicalinformation for those who seek to bring out the wealth of expressionof which the violoncello is capable. The instruction is presented inhomely, common-sense fashion, and there are upwards of fiftyexamples in music type to illustrate the author's meaning. "--_Lloyd'sWeekly_. 

"Every kind of bowing and fingering, the portamento, harmoniceffects, arpeggios and their evolution from various chords, are allably treated, and the work concludes with a few remarks onorchestral playing which are of especial interest. "--_Musical News_. 

"As a writer on the technique of his instrument Mr. Broadley isknown all over the world, perhaps his most successful work being alittle book published by THE STRAD, 'Chats to 'Cello Students. '"--_TheViolinist_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. VIII. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

ANTONIO STRADIVARIBYHORACE PETHERICK. _Of the Music Jury, International Inventions Exhibition, SouthKensington, 1885; International Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1890; Expertin Law Courts, 1891; President of the Cremona Society_. ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR. 

"This is the history of the life-work of the great Italian stringedmusical instrument maker.... There is a most interesting analysis ofStradivari's method of mechanical construction which again isillustrated by original drawings from the many Strads which it hasbeen Mr. Petherick's privilege to examine. All lovers of the king ofinstruments will read this delightful little volume. "--_Reynolds_. 

"Among makers of violins Stradivari perhaps occupies the premierposition, and this account of his work, designs, and variations infinish of details will afford pleasure to many readers. "--_MorningPost_. 

"This is a monograph which all students of the violin will be happyto possess. The author is a connoisseur and expert, and his accountof the great Cremonese master and his life-work, is singularly welland clearly told, whilst the technical descriptions and diagramscannot fail to interest everyone who has fallen under the spell ofthe violin.... Mr. Petherick traces the career of Stradivari fromhis earliest insight into the mysteries of the craft to his highestachievements. Numerous illustrations lend attraction to the volume, not the least being a view of Stradivari's atelier, from a paintingby Rinaldi, the sketch of which was made on the premises. "--_Music_. 

"Mr. Petherick is well known in the musical world as a violin expertwith a special knowledge of the instruments made by the Cremonesemaster, whose biography he has here given us. He tells us how themaster worked, what his pupils did, and where their work differsfrom that of their preceptor. In fact, the volume is as much adissertation on the violins of Stradivari as a biography of themaster, and is full of deeply interesting matter. "--_Lloyds_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. IX. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 5/-, Post Free, 5/4. _

VIOLIN MAKINGBYWALTER H. MAYSON, With Thirty-one Full-page PHOTO ETCHINGS, Illustrating the process of Violin-making in every stage--from therough slab of wood to the finished Instrument. 

The text is written by an Actual Violin Maker, in a very clear andlucid style. 

"'Popular lecture' style, with photographic illustrations. "--_TheTimes_. 

"A feature of the book is the clearness of theillustrations. "--_Morning Post_. 

"Describes a very fascinating art from start to finish. "--_MorningLeader_. 

"This new booklet, on how to make a violin, is an admirableexposition of methods. Mr. Mayson avoids learned terminology. Heuses the simplest English, and goes straight to the point. He beginsby showing the young learner how to choose the best wood for theviolin that is to be. Throughout a whole chatty, perfectly simplechapter, he discourses on the back. A separate chapter is devoted tothe modelling of the back, and a third to its 'working out. ' The artof sound-holes, ribs, neck, fingerboard, the scroll, the belly. Among the illustrations is one showing the tools which the authorhimself uses in the making of his instruments. To learners of thewell-known Manchester maker's delicate art we commend this littlevolume. "--_Daily News_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. X. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

(DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TO DR. JOSEPH JOACHIM)THE VIOLIN MUSIC OF BEETHOVEN, Critically discussed, and Illustrated with overFIFTY MUSICAL EXAMPLES, BYJ. MATTHEWS. 

The book contains analytical and historical notes upon the ChamberMusic of Beethoven, in which the violin takes part as a soloinstrument, with some account of the various editions of theprincipal works; Beethoven's method of working, as shown by hisSketch Books, etc. It is dedicated to Dr. JOACHIM, who has furnishedsome notes respecting the stringed instruments possessed byBeethoven. 

_Extract from Author's Preface_:--

"Young students often suppose that they ought to admire every workwhich proceeds from a great genius; an attempt therefore has beenmade to convey some idea of the relative art-value and importance ofthe various compositions discussed in these pages. For between thebest work of any man and his least inspired, there is a widedifference. Certainly nothing annoyed the great master more than tohear his least mature works praised, especially at a time when manyof his greatest creations were too little studied to be understoodsave by a few. "

"Mr. John Matthews--dealing with Beethoven's music in pleasantfashion, and at not too great length--gives an historical account, and in many instances short analyses, with illustrations in musictype of Beethoven's works for this instrument, and particularly thesonatas (to which considerable space is devoted), the trios, thequartets, and other compositions in which the master employed theviolin. The book will be found by amateurs both interesting andinstructive. "--_Daily News_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XI. 

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Advice to Pupils & Teachers of the Violin, BYBASIL ALTHAUS. 

_Strongly recommended by_ AUGUST WILHELMJ & GUIDO PAPINI

_London, March 18th, 1903_. 

DEAR MR. ALTHAUS, I read your book "Advice to Pupils and Teachers of the Violin" withgreat interest, and find it very useful. Hoping your book will meetwith the success it deserves. 

I am, yours sincerely, AUGUST WILHELMJ. 

_London, Feb. 19th, 1903_. 

DEAR MR. ALTHAUS, I have read with interest your admirable book, "Advice to Pupils andTeachers of the Violin. " I have no hesitation in recommending it asan indispensable work to all aspiring violinists and teachers. Yourremarks on the acquirement of the various bowings, with the manymusical examples, are excellent. I know of no work on this importantsubject so explicit and exhaustive. Wishing your book the greatsuccess it deserves. 

Believe me, yours sincerely, GUIDO PAPINI. 

"I have read the 157 pages that go to form the book in question, andcan say, without any misgiving, that Mr. Althaus has successfullyachieved what he set out to do. "--_Musical Standard_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XII. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

THERepairing and Restoration of Violins, BYHORACE PETHERICK. _Of the Music Jury, International Inventions Exhibition, SouthKensington, 1885; International Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1890; Expertin Law Courts, 1891; President of the Cremona Society_. 

WITH FIFTY ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR. 

CONTENTS. 

The proper sort of glue--Its preparation and use--Loosefingerboards--Injuries to the scroll--Insertion of freshwood--Fracture of peg-box and shell--Worn peg-holes--Refilling orboring same--Grafting--Lengthening the neck--Treatment ofworm-holes--Fixing on graft on neck--Ways of removing the uppertable and the neck--Cleansing the interior--Closing of cracks inupper table--Getting parts together that apparently do notfit--Treatment of warped lower table--Repairing old end blocks bynew ones--Matching wood for large cracks--Replacing lostportions--Repairs to purfling--Removal of a fixed sound-post--Fittinga fresh part of worm-eaten rib--Lining a thin back--Fixing thebar--Varnishing, etc. , etc. 

"The author is a man of wide experience, and with him it is a labourof love, so that few more suitable hands could be found for thetask. To him fiddles are quite human in their characteristics, needing a 'physician within beck and call, ' and developing symptomscapable of temporary alleviation or permanent cure, as the case maybe, and no remedial measures are left undescribed. "--_Musical News_. 

"Mr. Petherick is a man of wide experience in violins, so his hintsabout the treatment and care of the instrument are invaluable. Hisimaginary interviews are both clever and amusing, and, moreover, contain useful information of what to do, and avoid, in thetreatment of violins. "--_Hereford Times_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XIII. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

THE VIOLIN: Solo Playing, Soloists and Solos, BYWILLIAM HENLEY. 

"Mr. William Henley is an excellent performer, and his book, 'TheViolin: Solo Playing, Soloists and Solos, ' is the result ofconsiderable practice in the art he discusses.... The opening adviceto violin students, the insistence on tune first and then on tone, the latter depending greatly for its excellence upon the correctnessof the former, is not only worth saying, but is said well, and withconviction. Mr. Henley discriminates well between violinists:Joachim, the classic; Carrodus, the plain; Sarasate, the neat andelegant; and Wilhelmj, the fiery and bold.... The list of violinconcertos, given in the last chapter but one of the book, seems avery complete one, and should be useful for purposes ofreference. "--_The London and Provincial Music Trades Review_. 

"For the student whose intention it is to make the violin a means oflivelihood--the professional soloist or orchestral player inembryo--this little work, written in a spirit of obvious sincerity, is well-nigh invaluable.... The chapters on 'Teaching and Studies, ''The Artist, ' 'Phrasing, ' 'Conception, ' and 'True Feeling, ' are verywell written, and the whole work is worth careful and diligentperusal. "--_The Musical World_. 

"The author of this book has thought much and deeply on thefascinating subject of which he treats, and is entitled to ahearing.... The author's remarks on 'Tone' are excellentlyconceived, and of no small interest, the subject being lesshackneyed than that of ordinary technique. In his chapter on 'Style'he reminds the readers of the many factors which go to the making ofa fine violinist, among which Style--which is the outcome of theimagination and the sensibility of the player--is one of the mostimportant. The fine executant is common enough now-a-days, but thefine stylist as rare as ever. "--_Musical News_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XIV. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

SELECTED VIOLIN SOLOS, AND HOW TO PLAY THEM, BYBASIL ALTHAUS. (Author of "Advice to Pupils and Teachers of the Violin. ")With 283 Musical Examples. 

CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTION. 

SECTION I. 

GRADE A. --Elementary Pieces. 

GRADE B. --Easy, not exceeding First Position. 

GRADE C. --Easy, using First and Third Position. 

SECTION II. 

GRADE D. --Moderately Difficult, not exceeding the Third Position. 

GRADE E. --Moderately Difficult, as far as the Fifth Position. 

GRADE F. --Difficult, especially as regards Sentiment and Expression. 

SECTION III. 

GRADE G. --Difficult, using all Positions. 

GRADE H. --Very Difficult, including Standard Concertos and ConcertPieces. 

GRADE I. --For Virtuosi. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No, XV. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 2/6, Post Free, 2/9. _

THE VIOLIN AND ITS STORY:OR THE HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE VIOLIN. 

_Translated and Adapted from the German of_HYACINTH ABELEBYGEOFFREY ALWYN. 

_WITH TWENTY-EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS_. 

"The school of Cremona is dealt with at great length, but in themost interesting way. Short biographical sketches are given of thegreat exponents of this school, which was founded by Andreas Amati. To it belonged Antonio Stradivari, who is said to be the greatest ofall violin makers, and Joseph Guarnerius. The pupils of the Amatiand the others mentioned are duly tabulated before the schools ofMilan and Venice are discussed. Following these we have the Germanschool, etc. , etc. Part III. Of the book under notice deals with theconstituent parts of the violin, and there is nothing that theseeker after knowledge cannot find here, even to the number of hairswhich should go to the making of a bow. Strings, bridges, sound-posts, bass-bars, nuts, pegs--indeed, everything about aviolin is treated in an authoritative way. Not for a very long timehave we been so interested in a book, and for that reason we wishour violin players to share that pleasure by getting a copy. "--_TheCumnock Chronicle_. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XVI. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 5/-, Post Free, 5/4. _

JOSEPH GUARNERIUS, HIS WORK & HIS MASTER, BYHORACE PETHERICK(Of the Music Jury, International Inventions Exhibition, SouthKensington, 1885; International Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1890; Expertin Law Courts, 1891; President of the Cremona Society), With numerous Illustrations by the Author, 41 full-pageReproductions of Photographs, AND 220 pages of Letterpress. 

"Mr. Petherick is well known in the musical world as a violin expertwith a special knowledge of the instruments made by the Cremonesemaster. "--_Lloyds_. 

This is the only exhaustive work published on JOSEPH GUARNERIUS, andthe Author claims to have discovered his Teacher in AndreasGisalberti, whose name is here mentioned for the first time as amaker of renown. 

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY. No. XVII. 

_Crown 8vo. , Cloth, 5/-, Post Free, 5/4. _

NICOLO PAGANINI: HIS LIFE AND WORK, BYSTEPHEN S. STRATTON, With TWENTY-SEVEN FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS including REPRODUCTIONS OFPHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ESPECIALLY FOR THIS WORK. 

"It is a book which should be in the library of every musician, andwe heartily commend it to the notice of our many musical and otherreaders. "--_The Cumnock Chronicle_. 

"Mr. Stratton, the author of 'Nicolo Paganini: His Life and Work, 'was eminently qualified to write such a book. We do not know anybook of the kind so completely sane and yet so well-informed andjust. The great violinist's life is described fully, and what tomany readers will be the most valuable part of the volume, all hisworks are concisely analysed in a long chapter. A notable feature isthe series of illustrations. They show many things connected withPaganini--his birthplace, his tomb, his fiddle, and the like--inaddition to portraits and caricatures. "--_The Morning Leader_. 

"The late Mr. Stephen S. Stratton's 'Nicolo Paganini: His Life andWork' (London: THE STRAD Office, 5s. ), is the most complete accountextant of this greatest of all violin virtuosos ... The value of hisbook lies in the fact that not only has he written a book which hasconsiderable importance as a biographical and historical work, buthas also made of Paganini a credible and living figure. The volumeis enriched by a number of valuable and interesting illustrations, an appendix and a bibliography. "--_Musical Standard_.