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THE VIOLIN AND THE ART OF ITS CONSTRUCTION.
THE VIOLIN AND THE ART OF ITS CONSTRUCTION.
A Treatise on the Stradivarius Violin by AUGUST RIECHERS, Bow and Violin Maker. [Copyright of the German and English Editions.] With four lithographed plates. GOETTINGEN. CARL SPIELMEYER’S NACHFOLGER. FRANZ WUNDER. 1895. Copyright entered at Stationers Hall, London. To his highly revered Friend and Patron Dr. JOSEPH JOACHIM this work is humbly dedicated by THE AUTHOR....
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
The highly esteemed author of this treatise, a renowned violin maker and clever repairer, of old instruments, having been denied the pleasure of publishing the same himself, death intervening on January 4th, 1893, his work on the violin and the art of its construction is now published, in accordance with his last wishes. This treatise will, no doubt, be all the more welcome to professionals and amateurs alike, as to my knowledge no such work has yet been published treating the subject in such an
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
In giving publicity to this treatise on the construction of the violin, I believe I am only meeting the wishes of many, both professionals and amateurs, who are desirous of learning more particulars concerning the construction of their instruments, but am also giving a few practical hints to my younger comrades in the art of violin-making. I hope also to induce some of my older colleagues to give forth other works of the same kind, which may serve to ennoble and promote our art. Times without nu
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I. OF THE WOOD.
I. OF THE WOOD.
There can be no doubt whatever that a correct knowledge and choice of the wood for the construction of violins is of the utmost importance. Both these qualifications, however, can only be gained by experience, since that alone can prove which kind of wood is the most suitable and produces the best results. The back, the ribs, the neck, and the head should be of maple, and neither too hard, nor too soft, nor yet too deeply grained. In every case light wood should be selected, and I consider Hunga
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II. OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
II. OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
For the space of thirty years I have worked upon the plan of Stradivarius solely, for I consider that his instruments and their proportions are the most perfect that can be found. Why, therefore, should I have taken any other as my model? I have repaired at least three hundred undoubtedly genuine violins constructed by this great master, besides having seen and handled many others, and consequently have had frequent opportunities of thoroughly studying his work, and of gauging and copying his mo
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III. THE RIBS (Fig. 1. a).
III. THE RIBS (Fig. 1. a).
The ribs should be 1¹⁄₂ m/m. thick, and very neatly and evenly planed; the height should be about 30 m/m. at first. The ribs are curved to their correct form by means of a hot bending iron, or still better by a copper clew, and then glued to the blocks. After this, the ribs next to the back are to be made true to receive the linings. The latter must be 8 m/m. high, 2¹⁄₂ m/m. thick, and must be made of lime-wood. The middle linings are to be let into the blocks, so that they cannot break loose. T
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IV. THE BACK AND EDGES.
IV. THE BACK AND EDGES.
It is not of importance whether the back be made in one or two pieces; nevertheless, Stradivarius seems to have given the preference to a divided back. I also consider it more advantageous, as, being joined, it offers greater resistance, and is not so easily pressed outwards on the sound-post side, as is the case with violins having the back cut in one piece. The edges of the mid-rib and corners should be 4 m/m. thick, whereas the upper and lower edges of the back (Fig. 1 ee/ee), gradually decre
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V. THE BELLY.
V. THE BELLY.
The belly must be composed of two parts, and has to be joined together so exactly that the narrow year-rings are in the middle of the same; the outer ring which should not be more than 2 m/m. broad and very equally disposed, may run towards the edges. The edges must be of the same thickness as those of the back....
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VI. THE ARCHING.
VI. THE ARCHING.
It does not seem to me probable that Stradivarius acted without mature deliberation in making the arch of the back and belly, taken together, of the same height as the ribs, viz.: 30 m/m.; of course, I am speaking now of the violins made during his prime. If the back and belly are placed one upon the other, the height will amount to 30 m/m., the entire external diameter, therefore, must be 60 m/m., since the ribs, as already stated, have a height of 30 m/m. I am certainly of the opinion, that St
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VII. THE PURFLING.
VII. THE PURFLING.
The purfling is always placed 4 m/m. from the edge and is 1¹⁄₂ m/m. wide. It consists of three parts, the two outermost of which are prepared from maple and stained black, while the middle part is made of the same kind of wood, but unstained. It is of the utmost importance that the purfling should only be inserted to the depth of one-third of the thickness of the edges, otherwise the edge will very easily break off. In the work of Stradivarius, one finds continually on the back, both above and b
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VIII. WORKING-OUT THE THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY AND BACK.
VIII. WORKING-OUT THE THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY AND BACK.
The thickness of the breast in the back amounts to 4 m/m. at the spot where the sound-post stands and remains the same to a distance of 50 m/m. towards the bottom block, and 60 m/m. towards the upper block, while it decreases to 3 m/m. towards the middle rib. The cheeks must be 1 to 2 m/m. thick. I have assured myself by numberless measurements that Stradivarius often changed the thickness of the back; and has even gone so far as to make it 6 m/m., while the belly which he made from the soundest
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IX. THE F-HOLES.
IX. THE F-HOLES.
A well-formed and proportioned F has a great deal to do with enhancing the appearance of a violin. The F represented in Fig. 7 is a most perfect specimen of what it should be. Anyone wishing to cut the F-holes in the belly, should take Fig. 7 and place it in such a way that the line a/a be exactly 195 m/m. from the outer and upper edge, and b b almost upon the point of the belly. This will give the right position of the F-holes and at the same time the measurement of the body. The greatest width
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X. THE BASS-BAR.
X. THE BASS-BAR.
After the F-holes have been cut out, the bass-bar can be fixed. It is made of pine and should be prepared in such a way that the year-rings lie perpendicularly to the belly. The height of the bass-bar under the bridge is 10 m/m. and at the two ends 4 m/m. The bass-bar must be 6 m/m. thick in the middle, decreasing in thickness by 1 m/m. towards the ends. The length should be 280 m/m. The bass-bar must be glued on so that it lies 35 m/m. from the bottom edge and 40 m/m. from the upper one. In ord
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XI. THE HEAD OR NECK.
XI. THE HEAD OR NECK.
In Fig. 8 we have a very beautiful model, representing as it does a perfect specimen of Stradivarius. Its form can be obtained by exactly copying the external outline and the measurements I-XV. The inner curve of the head must be worked out as shewn in Fig. 8 b . The back at the head (Fig. 8 c ) should be 4 m/m. thick on the upper side and gradually increase by 3 m/m. towards the under side, so that at this point it reaches a thickness of 7 m/m. The peg-holes must be placed exactly as shewn in t
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XII. THE DIMENSIONS, LENGTH OF NECK AND BODY.
XII. THE DIMENSIONS, LENGTH OF NECK AND BODY.
None of the old violin makers have attached more importance to the right position of the F-holes than Stradivarius; hence we gather that he fully recognised the importance of the dimensions of the body, and in his violins we always find that the same measurement is retained between the interior incision of the F-holes and the upper edge. We shall see later on the great advantages that would accrue to the musician, if all violin makers would observe the same rules in the adjustment of the dimensi
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XIII. THE FINGER-BOARD AND NUT.
XIII. THE FINGER-BOARD AND NUT.
Both these portions of the instrument must be made of ebony (Fig. 12). Before the finger-board is glued, the surfaces to be joined must be made particularly smooth. The length is 268 m/m. in an instrument of normal size, and in those which are longer and shorter, the necessary proportion is easily determined. The width of the upper end, near the nut, is 24 m/m., while at the lower end it measures 45 m/m. The curve at the nut should be the same as the curve of the bridge, the thickness being from
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XIV. THE POSITION OF THE NECK.
XIV. THE POSITION OF THE NECK.
The neck of the violin must be regulated according to the width of the finger-board. It must be cut about 7 m/m. longer than the length required, when in position, in order to allow for its insertion in the block; the entire length of the neck from the nut to the end should measure 135 m/m. When this has been duly arranged, the neck can be fitted into the block. The small semi-circular elongation of the back of the violin, in common with the upper block, serves principally to support the neck an
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XV. THE TAIL-PIECE (Fig. 11).
XV. THE TAIL-PIECE (Fig. 11).
This part of the instrument exercises a great influence on the tone, although the fact is doubted by a great many performers. I will endeavour to briefly demonstrate my idea upon the subject. In the first place, I would remark in reference to the shape and size of the tail-piece that the upper curve must resemble the curve of the bridge. The semi-circular ridge at the upper end is called the saddle and must project about 1 m/m. The upper and movable end of the tail-piece is not arranged at right
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XVI. THE PEGS.
XVI. THE PEGS.
These are generally made of ebony, and care must be taken that they are inserted exactly in the places marked in Fig. 8. The distance of the pegs from the upper edge of the outer side of the violin head should not be more than 10 m/m. The holes in the pegs, through which the strings pass, should be 2 m/m. from the inside of the head. The outer ends of the pegs should be level with the sides of the head and be slightly rounded off....
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XVII. THE BRIDGE (Fig. 10).
XVII. THE BRIDGE (Fig. 10).
The bridge is made of maple and should be 40 m/m. wide and 35 m/m. high, at the bottom it should be 4 m/m. thick, on the top 1¹⁄₂ m/m. The width of the feet is not to exceed 9¹⁄₂ m/m. (Fig. 10 a ). The feet must be fitted exactly to the belly and towards the back should be sloped sufficiently, so that on the lower side of the bridge they form an exact right-angle with the centre line of the belly. It is advisable to powder the feet a little with chalk to prevent the bridge from being so easily d
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XVIII. THE SOUND-POST.
XVIII. THE SOUND-POST.
The sound-post must be made of pine; in a violin with a belly of normal thickness its diameter should be 6 m/m. and show by its year-rings an age from 10 to 12 years. With a thicker belly it should be made about 1 m/m. less in diameter. It must also be shaped so that both ends exactly fit the arch of the violin. When the sound-post has been placed in position, its year-rings should be at right angles with those of the belly, and furthermore, it should be of such a height as to raise the belly ¹⁄
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XIX. THE STRINGS.
XIX. THE STRINGS.
It is very difficult to decide on the quality of the strings; their being light or dark-coloured has no influence on their durability. The natural colour of the strings is dark, those of a lighter shade having been sulphured to render them so. The Italian strings are at present unrivalled, but care should be taken that they do not feel too hard. The choice of strings according to their thickness really depends on personal preference, but as a rule those only of medium size should be chosen, whic
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XX. THE VARNISH.
XX. THE VARNISH.
There has been for many years a warm and to a certain extent undecided discussion going on, as to whether the varnishes used by Italian violin makers were oily and slow-drying ones or spirit varnishes. To investigate this matter still further, and to arrive at a correct decision, will have to be left to the future. I am, however, of the opinion that the old masters made use of spirit or turpentine-oil until the middle of last century, but never of linseed-oil or turpentine-oil varnish, as has be
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XXI. THE CLEANING AND CARE OF THE VIOLIN.
XXI. THE CLEANING AND CARE OF THE VIOLIN.
The instrument must always be kept thoroughly clean and after use should be carefully wiped with a silken duster. If any dirt should adhere to it in spite of this precaution, it can be easily removed by gently rubbing it with a piece of linen, moistened with water, and afterwards wiping it over with oil of turpentine. The resin which accumulates on the finger-board and strings can in case of necessity be removed by the application of a little spirit, or better still, by that of Eau de Cologne, b
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XXII. THE BOW.
XXII. THE BOW.
The rank of François Tourte among violin-bow makers is as prominent a one as that of Stradivarius among violin makers. Each has supplemented the other. Tourte died in Paris in the year 1835 at the age of 88, after a life of usefulness almost as long as that of Stradivarius. He brought the making of bows for stringed instruments to such perfection, that those bow makers who have succeeded him, have never deviated very far from the models he left. I shall here make a few observations on the charac
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