THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY.
Cut the three channels across as explained for the back, but in this
way:--At the upper nodal point, so that your calipers register bare
one-eighth of an inch from one side to the other, centre as
well--same at the other node; and at the centre, full--rather
over--one-eighth across, all to be for the present only, as a slight
correction will be effected as the final stage of the use of the
calipers is reached.
Then operate over the whole surface on these lines, taking little or
nothing from the extreme edges, because I want you to reserve your
strength there in case your pine turns out very active--that is to
say, very sensitive to vibration, in which case, mark me, you must
keep up your strength of wood, as this extreme activity will not be
in harmony with the regulation mass of air in the violin, and the
steadiness of tone will suffer in consequence.
And, that you may very clearly understand the reason of this
occasional activity, I must tell you that sometimes the wood, in
being cut by the saw at the mill, gets a trifle _off the quarter_ on
to the slab; and this, coming to the edges, is less able to
withstand the strength of the air in its action of 512 beats to the
second, say of responsive C; whereas, all being properly and fairly
on the quarter, a slight diminution is allowed, and I consider
necessary. And I think the above remarks will very fully explain
_why_ we so insist on the upper table being _never_ on the slab or
near it.
So we will consider the wood roughened out as I directed, and now I
must get you to follow me closely whilst I arrange the thicknesses
so that I get that tone which I have found the fullest, the most
rich in quality, and of the finest carrying power.
I work at the part of the belly which I call the centre, as it is
the place where the bridge stands and answers to central node,
consequently the middle of the whole construction and of the mass of
air: I scrape and level here until I get a fraction, a hair or two
less than one-eighth of an inch thick. This I continue along the
breast until I arrive at both upper and lower nodal crossings, when
I gradually thin off to both ends, the final thickness being at the
flat 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 from
the centre of the breast to half-way towards all four edges, top and
bottom, about as at the centre, barely, and to the edges, till they
register a fraction thinner than at the upper and lower ends.
The above, be it understood, is when finally finished and smoothed
down. I now show you with the calipers how accurately the work
corresponds with the theory advanced; and on this, my favoured mode
of 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 finished
corresponds in tone to D, and you will still remember that the back
was C.
But other thicknesses than these, both of back and belly, are
employed; such as thinner in back and thicker in belly; and as used
by Joseph Guarnerius del Jesu--the back about such as we have used
in this instrument, but the belly a trifle THINNER in the centre
than at the edges--they being about one-eighth of an inch. And we
have it on record that many of the violins of Stradivari were
originally _one thickness_ all over the upper table, barely
one-eighth, and about as I use for the lower; would that we could
speak with authority on this as on many another point! But many
instruments have had wood taken from them by vampires and faddists,
and we can _not_ speak with authority as to the vital points of
scores of these noble efforts of art, therefore better not lay down
laws or adduce supposed facts regarding them, but do our utmost to
build up something as noble, and each one of us leave art no worse
than he found it, casting reproach and scorn on the utterly
indifferent, or the detestable pander or the vampire.
As I have not to recur to the thicknesses again, it may here be a
convenient place in which to say a few words on the nodal points in
relation thereto.
Many of you may not know what a "node" in music means exactly--some
of you may know nothing whatever about it. Simply, it is the fixed
point of a sonorous chord, at which it divides itself, when it
vibrates by aliquot parts, and produces the harmonic sounds. And do
you not see how this struck chord can serve and does serve to
illustrate my exposition of the back and belly--more particularly
the 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 again
fly, but united in a strong, sonorous _tone_. How then, think you,
will fare those worked out cheeks or attenuated edges, (some of
which latter I have seen no thicker than a worn shilling), when
worked hard and in a hot room? Gentlemen, they will sound like
something between a musette and a Jew's harp, when you are near to
the player; they will not be heard _at all_ some yards away! Yet it
is such a tone (!) which many hundreds of old violins possess, and
after which so many million people run. Please note this is entirely
without prejudice. Every person has a perfect right to use his own
judgment; and tastes differ.