On good and excellent violins particular attention must be given to the bridge, especially when it fits the instrument, for it is not always easy to replace it with one equally good. A bridge which is qualified to affect the violin and contribute to the charm of tone of the instrument is more valuable than one would often think. Many consider a bridge of as little consequence as a string, when it breaks on the violin, and think they can restore the loss by a bridge which costs three cents; for the correct model of a bridge is considered only as an ornament by such people. Of course they do not know that this is one of the most important parts of good violins, and that there are but few violin makers who are able to make a bridge as it should be. But it is the same with the bridge as with the violin.
It is not only the correct construction of the violin and bridge which produces a good tone, but the right sort of wood must be found for the purpose. Thus the bad form of a bridge made of fine wood is just the same as a common fiddle made of fine materials. It therefore follows that we should take as much care of a master bridge as of the violin itself.
It some times occurs that the sounding post of the violin becomes shorter by itself; in this case it may be advisable to relax the strings entirely in order to see whether the sounding post does not fall. If this is the case, a new one must be made of old wood by a skilled workman. The cause of this is that the wood contracts more or less, especially in dry weather; this may also be caused by a change of air, which sometimes even produces a distortion of the swell of the top.
When such care is habitually taken, a violin will always be in good order. Too low a sounding post causes a lower position of the top on that side, which, when not remedied, will remain and will produce a defect in the swell and tone. This is also the case when the sounding post is too high, and many violins are seen where the swell is higher or lower than it ought to be on the side where the sounding post stands. This is also the case with the bass-bar or so-called "soul" of a violin, which is just as mysterious a part of the violin as any one can imagine; and its quality shows the skill or ignorance of its maker.
TO ILLUSTRATE HOW VIOLINS OF MY CONSTRUCTION MAY BE COMPARED WITH THE OLD ITALIAN MASTER-VIOLINS.
From the foregoing treatises it will be seen with what energy I devoted myself to the art of making violins, and I can declare to the world with a good conscience that I have reached the standpoint in this art which has been striven for in vain during a century.
I have studied all the characteristics in the construction of the Italian master violins, and have had extensive practice in imitating violins, as masters have made them, and have obtained an understanding which enables me to unite all good qualities of tone in the construction.
As I am able to judge from experience, nobody can confute me. All those who doubt it or will dispute it can neither confute me scientifically, nor prove what they say. I have had a great many opportunities to hear and repair the best Italian violins myself, including Paganini's wondrous violin at Vuilliaume's, in Paris, and I can affirm that my "Kaiser" violin can be considered as wondrous a violin in regard to tone and character as—nay, it is even to be preferred to—that of Paganini's in many respects!