nd I also find a whole pack of wolves, hollow, rasping tone, and
difficult of production--in fact, a wretched fiddle.

Then, as to width of fingerboard--a narrow one is often clung to as
"so nice and handy," etc., but it is forgotten that the strings in
consequence have to be brought closer together than clean fingering
requires; and, moreover, the E string must, of necessity, be brought
too near the edge of the ebony for firm stopping; so I have no
sympathy whatever with a narrow or too thin fingerboard and neck.

But I have to work away at the rough neck after having traced the
outline of the button upon the under end of it--not the _actual_
shape of this necessity, but such as will serve as a guide to one of
more grace. Added to that, I roughly mark the shape and thickness of
the wood up to which I have to cut away, to insure nice handling. To
this line I cut with bow saw 68; and I then use all the knives I
have, and many files--rasps in the early stages--until I get to the
_shape_ I want, after which I wet with a sponge, renewing the work
when dry with finer files and glass-paper, No. 1-1/2, making a
second stage, then wet again, to two more stages, when all _should_
be very clean and nice. Of course, I round the fingerboard's edges
somewhat, and clean on each occasion of wetting. When finished, the
neck should measure round thick end (one and a half inches from
extreme end of wood), three and a half inches; and round thin end
(one inch from peg-box) three inches. This finishes the neck, which
is now ready for insertion in the violin.

I have, above, treated of this: I now do it actually. I have wood
guard 31 ready for protection of fingerboard, and 32, for the back,
and one of No. 11 cramps. I dab the neck and the cutting with hot
strong glue, and gently work them together, until the glue oozes out
at all points, when I put on the wood guards and clamp hard. Then I
wash the superfluous glue away with a sponge wrung out of hot water,
after I have tested whether I have got in the neck straight and at
its correct angle. (See fig. 27.)

[Illustration: PLATE XXVII.]

But there is the neat finishing off of the neck and button, which I
attend to carefully, when all is set hard on the following day,
paying much heed to grace and _character_ here, as it is a part of
the fiddle which cries out at once if slovenly, or ungainly, or the
_least bit_ out of line or centre.

And I fashion the nut over which the tail-piece g