Violin-Making A Historical and Practical Guide

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ISBN: 9780486443560 | 0486443566
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 8/1/2005

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This classic guide offers an accessible initiation into the mysteries of violin-making. Charming in its style and cultivated in its research, it covers every detail of the process and includes a fascinating history of the instrument. More than 200 diagrams, engravings, and photographs complement the text. 1885 edition.

``Forewords''

Title

iii

Poem (Percy Reeve)

Preface

vii

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

xvii

``Echoes'' (R. A.)

xxii

Introduction

(27)

``De Fidibus'' (S. C. G.)

(1)

Part I.---Historical

The Ancestry of the Violin

(29)

Difficulties in the Way of Research

Destruction

Errors of Description and Representation

Mention of Violen in the Bible

Bow Instruments among the Ancient Greeks and Romans

The Ravanastron

The Omerti

The Kemangch a'gouz

The Rebab esh Sha'er

The Goudok

The Rebab

The Nofre

The Assyrian Trigonon

Pear-shaped Viols

The Rebec and the Viol

The Gigue and Kit

The Viol-makers and their Instruments

French Claims to Invention

The Viol da Gamba

Playford

The Barytone

Prætorius

Chests of Viols

The Welsh Crwth

(11)

Ancient Hebrew Lyre

Modern African Lyre

Greek and Roman Lyres

The Rotta

The Crwth Trithant

The Chrotta, or Crwth proper

Gruffydd ap Howel

Daines Barrington

Wynne Finch

Genealogies of the Violin and Crwth

Biographical

(17)

Early Makers

Gasparo da Salo

Gio Paolo Maggini

Andreas Amati

Antonius and Hieronymus Amati

Nicolaus Amati

Andreas Guarnerius

Jacobus Steiner

Francisco Ruggieri

Antonius Stradiuarius

Joseph Guarnerius

Peter Guarnerius

Laurentius Guadagnini

Johannes Baptista Guadagnini

Domenicus Montagnana

Sanctus Seraphino

Carlo Bergonzi

Franciscus and Omobono Stradiuarius

Joseph Anthony Guarnerius (del Jesu)

Vincenzo Panormo

Carolus Ferdinandus Landolphi

Laurentius Storioni

Nicholas Lupot

Jean Baptiste Vuillaume

Barak Norman

Benjamin Banks

Thomas Dodd

William Forster

Richard Duke

Peter Wamsley

John Lott

William Ebsworth Hill

Georges Chanot

Jacobs (Amsterdam)

The Mirecourt Violin Trade

The Bow

(18)

Progressive History of the Bow

The Corelli Bow

The Cremaillere

Tourte

The Modern Bow

Dimensions

Hairing and Rehairing

Rosin and its Action

Folding Bow

Vuillaume's Bow

Withers

Other Patents

The Great Bow-makers

The Violin, Its Vagaries and Its Variegators

104

(21)

Perfection of the Existing Form

Earthenware, Metal, Leather, Papier Mache and Eccentric Violins

Trumpet Violin

Pear-shaped Violin

Hulskamp's Violin

Polychord Violins

Isoard's

Dubois

Vuillaume

Hoensel

Hawkins

Sinclair

Wylde's Nagelgeige, or Nail-Violin

Boxwood Violin

Howell's

Jacque's

Bell

Robertson

Collins

Howell

Mollenhauer

Guitar-shaped Fiddles

Galbusera

F. Chanot

Savart's Trapezoid Violin

Patent Repairs

Part II.---Theoretical

The Wood---The Model

125

(15)

The Violin

The Woods used

Chemically prepared Woods

The Qualities of the Woods

``Whole,'' ``Half,'' and ``Slab'' Backs

The Model

Method of Copying an Old Model

Method of Drawing a Mathematical Outline

The Back, Belly, and Sides

140

(7)

The Thicknesses of the Back and Belly

Copyists

The Sides

Mass of Air contained in a Fiddle

Height of the Sides

The Interior of the Violin

147

(8)

The Blocks

The Side Linings

The Sound Post

Its Measurement

Position in the Fiddle

Functions of the Sound Post

Petizeau's Sound Post

Hansel's

Davidson's

The Bass Bar

Its Measurements

Position in the Fiddle

The Old Bars

Vagaries attempted with the Bass Bar

The Exterior of the Violin

155

(13)

The ff Holes

Method of Tracing

Their Object

Position in the Belly

Their Capacity

The Neck and Scroll

Its Functions

Its Setting on the Fiddle

Its Measurements

Method of Tracing

The Chanot Scroll

Old Necks

The Bridge

Ancient Bridges

The Design and Material

Its Functions

Setting to the Instrument

Otto's Bridge Regulator

Position on the Belly

Purfling

Its Composition

Fitting

The Pegs

Their raison d'etre

Ornamentation

Ornamental Purfling

Inlaying

Carved Heads

Painting

Branding

Inlaid Fittings

The Varnish

168

(19)

Charles Reade on the Old Varnishes

Old Recipes

Alexis the Piedmontese. 1550

Fioravanti of Bologna, 1564

Anda, 1663

Zahn, 1685

C. Morley, 1692

Bonanni of Rome, 1713

Qualities required by Violin Varnish

Amber Varuishes

Spirit Varnishes

Application

Sizing

Tests for Purity of Ingredients

Coloration of Varnish

Composition

Time for making Varnishes

Recipes

Fittings and Appliances

187

(16)

The Pegs

Material

Fitting

Machine Heads

Patent Pegs

The Nut

The Finger-Board

Cutting

Material

Spohr's Finger-Board

Other Vagaries

The Tail-Piece

Material

Spohr's Tail-Piece

Vuillaume's Sourdine Pedale

Zebrowski's

The Tail-Pin

The Rest

Chin-Rests

Hill's

Chanot's

The Mute

Hill's

Rosin

Its Preparation

Gauges Tuning Forks

String Boxes

Minor Accessories

Fiddle Cases

The Strings

203

(16)

Choice of Strings

Theory of Vibration

Relations to One Another

``True'' and ``False'' Strings

True and Harmonic Octave and Fifth Tests

Appearance of a Good String

Preservation of Strings

Different Sorts of Strings

Their Composition

Method of Preparation and Manufacture

Covered Strings

Silk and Acribelle

Part III.---Practical

The Tools

219

(7)

Ordinary Tools

Special Tools

Toothed Plane

Scrapers

Knives

Marking Point

Bending Irons

Oval Planes

Spring Compasses

ff Hole Piercers

Gauging Callipers

Screws

Clips

Cramps

Compasses

Purfling Tools

The Outside Mould

226

(4)

Copying the Outline

Making the Mould

Its Diameters

The Outline Models

The Arching-Guides

The Cramping Blocks

The Sides, or Ribs, Blocks and Side-Linings

230

(10)

Selection of Wood

The Sides

Bending the Sides

Fitting the Sides

The Top and Bottom Blocks

The Corner Blocks

The Side-linings

Bending the Side-linings

Fitting

Fixing the Linings

Levelling

Finishing the Sides, Linings, and Blocks, Inside and Outside

The Tables: Back and Belly

240

(7)

Joining the Tables

Planing the Flat Surface

Marking the Outline

Cutting-out

First Gouging

Correcting the Outline

Second Gouging

First Planing

The Sunk Edge

Second Planing

Scraping

Marking the Plane Surfaces for Gouging out Back and Belly

The Back

247

(6)

Gouging-out

Planing

Scraping

Bevelling the Edge

Fitting on the Ribs

Sizing the Blocks

Peg-holes

Fixing the Ribs

Finishing

The Label

Correcting the Bottom Join

The Tail-pin Hole

The Belly

253

(9)

Marking the ff Holes

Cutting out the ff Holes

Gouging out the Belly

Planing

Scraping and Finishing

Fitting the Bar

Fixing the Bar

Fitting on the Sides

Fixing

Correcting

Finishing

Purfling and Finishing the Body

262

(7)

Marking the Purfling

The Pegs

The Purfling

Fitting

Fixing

Raising the Edges and Corners

Final Scraping

Sand-papering

The Rest

Fitting

Fixing

Finishing

Rounding the Edges

Finishing the Body ``in the white''

The Neck and Scroll

269

(13)

The Wood

Preparation

Marking Outline

Cutting-out

Marking and Shaping out the Neck and Scroll

Roughing out the Volute

Finishing the Volute

Hollowing the Back of the Head

The Peg-box

Finishing the Head

The Neck

Fitting the Neck to the Body of the Fiddle

Cutting out the Chamber

Shaping the Shoulder

Testing the Fit

Fixing

The False Finger-board

The Button

The Shoulder

Finishing the Neck and Shoulder

Final Operations

The Guarnerius Model, with Whole Tables on an Inside Mould

282

(12)

The Inside Mould and its Accessories

The Half-outline

The Rib-outline

The Whole Back

The Whole Belly

The Blocks

Fitting the Blocks

Marking the Blocks

Shaping

Fitting the C's

Fixing

Finishing the Blocks

Fitting the Upper and Lower Bouts

Fixing

Regulating the Depth

The Lower Linings

The Insides of the Blocks

The Back

Gouging-out and Proceedings to Completion

The Belly

Gouging-out

Marking f f holes

Fixing Bar

Proceedings to Completion

Fixing Back to Ribs

Taking out Mould

The Upper Linings

Finishing the Linings and Blocks

Fitting and Fixing the Belly

The Head and Neck

Finishing the Fiddle in the ``white''

Varnishing and Fitting Up

294

(12)

Staining

Varnishing

Polishing

Fitting the Finger-board

Fixing the Nut

Finishing the Nut and Finger-board with the Neck

Fitting the Pegs

Finishing the Pegs

Fitting and Fixing the Tail-pin

Fitting the Tail-piece and Loop

Setting up the Sound-post

The Strings

Cutting and Fitting the Bridge

Finis!

Repairs

306

Removing the Belly of the Fiddle

Cracks in the Back or Belly

Cracks in Wings of f f Holes

Cracked Corners

Crack at the Joint, or Ungluing of the Tables

Cracked Edges and Bits Split off the Outline

Crack from the Pressure of the Sound-post

Veneering New Wood into a Fiddle

Loosening of the Belly from the Heat of the Chin or Hand

Split Block

Splicing the Head on to a Neck, and Fitting it on a Fiddle

Varnishing Repairs

Conclusion

Appendices

A. Materials used in Varnishing the Violin

323

B. The Preservation of the Instrument

326

C. The Bibliography of the Violin

329

D. A Catalogue of Violin Schools and Instruction Books

343

E. An Historic Violin School

348

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Violin-Making A Historical and Practical Guide

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials