down to us from the
early part of the last century. The violin tuned up to the present
concert pitch and music of our period having many of the modern style
of difficulties, would prove utterly inadequate to the task of giving
out its tones in a manner expected of it.

In proceeding to work then, the workman executing this modification
having selected his block of curled maple, planes it to an oblong of
equal breadth. He calculates as to the best position for showing off
the curl on each side of the neck when finished. Having decided which
is to be the upper part or that covered by the fingerboard, this is
planed to a good level and smoothed. A line drawn with a good pointed
pencil or pointed knife, and sharply defined, is then drawn down the
whole length exactly in the centre. At the end which is intended for
the thickest to be inserted in the body of the instrument an equal width
each side must be marked. Near the other end, at a distance that shall
correspond with the opening of the peg-box, an equal width each side
of the line must be marked off as at the other end. These two
measurements will represent as nearly as possible the width of the neck
along its course at the junction of the fingerboard. From the point
representing the opening of the peg-box one of two lengths upwards must
be decided upon; if the splicing is to be effected in the manner common
in this country, a greater length will be required than for that of
the French style. This latter is more to my fancy than the other, as
there is less of the original wood lost. If for the former, a length
of wood beyond the opening will be required of two inches, if for the
latter or French a little over one inch and a half will be enough. The
central line has of course been continued for the whole length of the
wood. The waste wood at the end can now be sawn off down to the line.
The next measurement will be, supposing the French style is
adopted--that of the extreme width of the end, which will be given by
taking a point at half the thickness of the peg-box wall at the part
and similarly placed on the other or opposite and taking the width
between the two. This divided equally and marked on the wood of the
new graft each side of the central line will give the narrowest width
of the part to be inserted in the peg-box. The outside may be then
removed by the saw vertically. There will now be necessary the marking
off a part on the graft that shall represent the thic