"I usually play a 'Strad,' but very often turn to my beautiful
'Guillami,'" said Mr. Brown when asked about his violins. "It is an old
Spanish violin, made in Barcelona, in 1728, with a tone that has a
distinct Stradivarius character. In appearance it closely resembles a
Guadagnini, and has often been taken for one. When the dealer of whom I
bought it first showed it to me it was complete--but in four distinct
pieces! Kubelik, who was in Budapest at the time, heard of it and wanted
to buy it; but the dealer, as was only right, did not forget that my
offer represented a prior claim, and so I secured it. The Guadagnini,
which I have played in all my concerts here, I am very fond of--it has a
Stradivarius tone rather than the one we usually associate with the
make." Mr. Brown showed the writer his Grancino, a beautiful little
instrument about to be sent to the repair shop, since exposure to the
damp atmosphere of the sea-shore had opened its seams--and the rare and
valuable Simon bow, now his, which had once been the property of
Sivori. Mr. Brown has used a wire E ever since he broke six gut strings
in one hour while at Seal Harbor, Maine. "A wire string, I find, is not
only easier to play, but it has a more brilliant quality of tone than a
gut string; and I am now so accustomed to using a wire E, that I would
feel ill at ease if I did not have one on my instrument. Contrary to
general belief, it does not sound 'metallic,' unless the string itself
is of very poor quality.