A Review Of Ancient And Modern Violin Making (1899)

787.1 Oakes

Ollr

6443079

A review of ancient and modern
violin making

A REVIEW
OF

ANCIENT A^D MODERN
VIOLIN MAKING
BY
$

W, W.

OAKES

SEATTLE* WASH.

METROPOLITAN PRINTING AND BINDING

CO.

Copyright, 1S99

METROPOLITAN PRINTING AND BINDING Co.
All rights

mmrt

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

........

PAGE
7

CHAPTER I. Had the Old Masters Arrivedat Certainty ? CHAPTER II. Violin Wood CHAPTER III.
Varnish

12

......... ..........
CHAPTER
IV.

19

39

Construction of the Violin

....

58

.......... CHAPTER The Neck .......... -CHAPTER The Sound ....... CHAPTER The Sound ........ CHAPTER The .........
Models
VI.
VII.

CHAPTER V.

72

81

Holes

85

VIII.

Post

88

IX.

Bridge

98

'

6443079'

'

INTRODUCTION

IN

THE ARGUMENTS made
I

in the fol-

lowing .pages
vincing

may

not succeed in con-

readers that the position I have taken is impregnable, or even in

my

creating a doubt concerning the superiority of the Cremona violins, with their host of attend-

ant theories, but I hope to set my readers thinking, and if I can suggest the right lineof thought, then, it will be the first step toward
the
revolution.

A man

whose

convictions,

though erroneous, are honest, is always ready to acknowledge his error when convinced of
its existence.

It is for this class of thinking,

investigating people that this little book is intended, and not the blind and fanatical ad-

herents to the "old violin" ideas,

who

are proof8

A

RJS VIE W

OF A NCIENT

against argument and fact, or anything that would tend to dethrone their idol.
Life-long opinions are not easily changed:
it

rather requires the most stubborn facts, long and persistently held forth, to effect a

change, even in a small matter. Presuming that the majority of

my

readers
is

are disciples of the "old violin" school, asvery likely the case, it would be unreasonable to expect an immediate revolution in the opinions they have held so long.
It

man?

has already been asked, "Who is this We have never heard of him before.
right does

By what

he ask

for the acceptance

of his theories, the adoption of

which would
3'

overthrow those of time-honored belief?
If I

may be allowed
first,

toanswer, I will say:

As
not

to the

my

signature at the beginning

As to why the world does know me, it is because of circumstances, and until now of my own choice. In answer to
will inform you.

the third,
to

I

claim the right that justly belongs

anyone who has clearly demonstrated the
If

error of any theory.

my

theories are at fault, they cannot afIf I

fectthe old ones.

am

right,

then the old
violin

errors should be swept away.

That the

ANJ>

MODERN VIOLIN MAKING

*

world will doubt many of

my

statements

is

only reasonable to expect, and that there are

some who

only ask for an honest investigation. In presenting this review to the public, I do not propose to give the history of the violin,

willdoubt

all is

looked

for.

I

or to follow the lives of prominent makers

any period. This has been so repeatedly and exhaustively done that there is nothing
of

new

to give.

In

all

works of recent

years,

whether in book form or short
only finds a repetition of

articles,

one

what has long
lines

since

become tiresome.

No one need hope

tocreate

an

interest

on these old

without some

new

matter.
violin

The subject of the
minds

seems to have a
certain
class

peculiar fascination for a

of

minds which appear to be easily burdened with the subject, and find relief only in
the frequency of their squibs, and when imbued with rather more than ordinary inspiration will tell us

"How
its

to

make a...