Gaspard da Salo made very interesting violins of small and large size; the former have a peculiar character of tone, not very strong but of a very clear color. These violins have a beautiful, high and round swell, similar to those of Jacobus Stainer, but those of a greater size are flatter, producing more power of tone, and are therefore better adapted for solo performances.
These celebrated masters left us a great choice of different forms and swells, as well as their method of workmanship in regard to the top and bottom of their violins, where the proof is to be seen that they always made investigations in order to gain a greater perfection. Stradivarius and Joseph Guarnerius have especially obtained a beautiful quality of tone in their violins, yet in order to gain an easy touch of tone, they worked the top pretty tender, and in many instances they made the middle part of the top most thin, probably to further the easiness of sound still more. Such violins do not answer for concerts.
It seems that at that time less attention was paid to such a power of tone as is required now, because only few of them have been found with an acceptable thickness of wood in the top and bottom. This is, therefore, the reason that so many Italian violins produce too weak a tone in concerts.
Although Maggini left the top and bottom thicker in the middle part, still, most of his violins have not, on account of construction and deep color of tone, been received with favor like those of Stradivarius and Joseph Guarnerius. As only a few such Guarnerius and Stradivarius violins were found which by reason of their thickness of wood answered the purpose of solo violins, every one believed all their productions of a like character.
Therefore, so many solo players often expose their ignorance by playing on such violins in concerts.
Stradivarius instructed other pupils besides Joseph Guarnerius, who made excellent violins, and many of these violins still exist. As the most of them were made with the full thickness of wood, they produce a splendid tone, often better than some of those made by their great master. This teaches us that he who wishes to possess an Italian violin on account of its tone cannot depend upon finding it by the name alone, but he has to pay all his attention to the discovery of those in which the necessary thickness of wood is found.
A solo player, therefore, should never play a violin on account of its name alone, for if the violin produces a weak tone, the blame will be laid on him, and so much the more because it is generally supposed that such instruments must be master violins.
ART EXHIBITIONS.—HOW VIOLINS ARE EXAMINED AND JUDGED.